ORLANDO, Fla. — Officials with the company that owns the crane that fell onto an Orlando home Tuesday, slicing through its roof, claim the person operating the crane did nothing wrong.
A blue tarp covers the gaping hole in the roof of the Baldwin Park home 24 hours after the crane fell over.
Officials with the crane company, Beyel Brothers, told Channel 9 there’s no way the operator could have known he was setting his supports down on ground that was too soft.
A sign on the front door of the home says the property is condemned. No one is sure how long the investigation and repairs will take.
Read more: Crane topples onto Orlando home, slicing roof
The investigator for the Beyel Brothers crane company claims the operator used a weight-spreading pad and had no way of knowing he had picked what the investigator claims is an especially soft spot with loose soil over a water line.
The Beyel Brothers inspector said the crane operator was certified.
The sign on the door says the home has been condemned due to structural damage caused by the crane slicing through the roof. #WFTV pic.twitter.com/flpTFu61aJ
— Field Sutton (@EFieldSutton) September 5, 2018
“You are defying the law of gravity. You are doing with a very powerful piece of equipment, and you’re doing it in close proximity to people,” said James Headley, who is the president of the Crane Institute of America. “This could have been a lot worse.”
Headley said that with the right support, setting up on grass is fine.
OSHA has not responded to questions from Channel 9 about whether they plan to independently investigate this.
The Beyel Brothers investigator also says his crane operator was certified by one of three national certifying organizations. He says the company only hires certified crane operators. #WFTV
— Field Sutton (@EFieldSutton) September 5, 2018
WATCH RAW VIDEO BELOW: The moment the crane collapsed into the home
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