Construction sites can be a difficult place to work, for more than one reason. There are plenty of job site hazards to avoid on a normal project, but those issues are compounded when your co-workers are acting recklessly. As smartphones have become commonplace on site and in public, job site videos have also become increasingly available. Many of these videos below can raise awareness for how not to act, especially when heavy equipment is involved.
Crane Operator Destroys Crane and Bulldozer
In the video, you’ll see a crane operator attempting to lower a bulldozer to lower ground using a crane, but the idea was clearly not thought out very well as the crane barely drops the bulldozer halfway down before it starts to flip, causing both pieces of equipment to crash to the ground, effectively destroying both of the machines.
The only smart thing this operator did was know when to bail. His dismount from the crane, as it was getting ready to flip was actually pretty impressive. Thankfully, no one was physically hurt by the accident.
Deadly New York City Crane Collapse
In February, New York City experienced a crane collapse that killed one man and injured 3 others. An onlooker from a nearby building caught the accident on video with his cell phone. The crawler crane that toppled over was working on installing generators and HVAC roof top units atop 60 Hudson Street, which was formerly a Western Union Building. When high winds of up to 20 mph started to blow, crews began the process to secure the crane, which, at the time, was extended to approximately 565 feet. But, while the operator was lowering the boom, he lost control and the crane fell to the street below, killing a man who was walking to work and injuring 3 others, according to the New York Times.
6 Story Parking Garage Collapses During Demolition
A parking garage, which appears to be 6 stories high in Houston, Texas was being demolished by two excavators when what was left of the structure gave way and toppled directly on top of one of the machines. The worker inside the excavator appeared to exit the vehicle completely unharmed after the dust settled. According to CBS News, the demolition crew was from Cherry Demolition, who reported that the excavator suffered very little damage and the worker was uninjured.
Man Driving Stolen Backhoe Leads Police on a Wild Chase
In a 21st century version of the OJ Simpson police chase, a 59 year old man lead Monroe County, Florida police on a very low speed chase over the Seven Mile Bridge, dragging an attached hammer the entire way. As sparks flew off the back of the machine, the cops had no choice but to follow closely behind until the suspect either gave up or the backhoe was stopped. The bridge was closed for over 3 hours, as the suspect, identified by Monroe County police as Carl Blahnik, changed directions several times, causing tons of damage, including hitting one of the pursuing police cars.
Around 1:20am, the police were finally able to stop the backhoe with a spike strip and promptly arrested the man. He was charged with reckless driving, fleeing and eluding police, disturbing a street or highway, failing to register a vehicle, and grand theft of a vehicle.
The Exact Wrong Way to Demolish a Building
This insane video shows two men standing on the edge of a 3 story high building (roughly 30 feet in the air), without shoes on, chipping away at the same structure that he’s standing on with a sledgehammer. About the only thing they’re doing right is that they’re not hitting the part of the wall directly below their feet. There’s absolutely no evidence of safety precautions to be found, no harness and no nets, only relying on each of their own balance and the strength of the wall to stay upright during the process.
Excavator Falls Through Floor During Demolition
In Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada, crews were working on demolishing an old multi-story mattress store, when an excavator working on the second floor came crashing down. The operator inside the excavator fell around 15 to 20 feet to the ground below, but was uninjured.
Wheel Loader Crushes Two Cars for Blocking Construction Exit
The moral of the video below, uploaded to Youtube by TomoNews US, is that if you *have* to illegally park, it’s best not to do it at a construction site exit. Even if damage is done accidentally, unlike what you’ll see below, the results won’t be pretty. But, if you run into an operator having a bad day, you might be walking home. As you’ll see, the wheel loader makes quick work of the two cars in his way, completely driving over one car before flipping the second on its side and pushing them in the middle of the street.
Six Wheel Loaders Fight Each Other on the Streets of China
Reports are saying that a disagreement between two rival construction companies ignited the street fight, but it’s unclear exactly how they thought this would end up. Badly, would be my best guess. The video below, which makes Battle Bots look like child’s play, ended up with two loaders flipped on their side and we can see one operator climb out of the cab and run to safety to another loader. There are also a couple brave cars that drove by as the fight started.
Worker Flips a Crane with a Front End Loader
This video, uploaded to Youtube by Center Smiling, pits wheel loader against a wheeled crane, which is innocently trying to install a billboard sign, when the loader comes onto the right side of the screen and appears to use the bucket to lift the crane’s wheels off the ground. The crane then completely topples over and the sign and the boon crash into a nearby building. It’s not known whether or not anyone was injured in the event.
Concrete Mix Tuck Falls Off Ramp Under Construction
Heavy construction machinery is not supposed to fall over, but when they do, it causes a lot of damage. The video below, shared by LiveLeak, shows a concrete mix truck falling off of an under construction ramp roughly 15 feet above. It’s believed to be the video originates in Thailand, but we’re not able to confirm that.
Deflated Blimp Makes Emergency Landing on Construction Site
Well, you can probably add this to the list of things you’d never expect to see on a construction site or really anywhere, for that matter. A blimp, sporting the adhesive company Bostik Inc.’s logo, was forced to make an emergency landing as it deflated onto a Philadelphia jobsite in May. Luckily, neither of the two people inside the blimps cabin reported any injuries after the landing.
According to the TimesUnion, the cause of the deflation is not yet known, but both the Federal Aviation Administration and the National Transportation Safety Board were notified and are working to discover the cause.
Wheeled Crane Flips Trying to Remove Water Tower Tank
In the videos below, you’ll see a wheeled crane attempt to lift the tank of a water tower off of the base and onto the ground, but it only makes it a short distance before the boom begins to buckle and the crane flips on its head. If you look closely in the second video, you can actually see a worker trying to hold the crane down from flipping by jumping on one of the crane’s outriggers…not smart. It has not been determined if there were any injuries caused by the collapse and we hope the operator is OK.
Construction Workers Forced to Jump Off 6 Story High Boom Lift That Caught Fire
In July, two construction workers in Boise, Idaho had to make some quick decisions as their welding blanket caught fire while they were in the lift.
At the time of the fire, the boom lift was extended roughly 60 feet in the air and they were too far away from the building to be able to jump to safety. Worse yet, the control board on the basket no longer was disabled due to the fire. As the flames started to get larger, quick thinking workers on ground level were able to swing the basket towards the building, which allowed the two men to jump to a ledge on the sixth floor. The two men were able to get away with only minor burns and were treated for smoke inhalation and KBOI in Boise reports they are doing well.
100 Foot Tall Retaining Wall Collapse
In the video below, uploaded to Youtube by Today’s News, you’ll see the collapse of a large retaining wall in Turkey, approximately 100 feet in height, crumble under the weight of the soil it’s attempting to shore. Oddly, several people at the bottom of the pit seem to be aware of the issue, as they can be seen pointing cameras at the wall. As it collapses, they slowly move away, narrowly escaping being buried. The bottom of the retaining wall is the last place I’d want to be if I knew there were issues.
Surveillance Video Shows Metal Building Collapse in Texas
At the time of the collapse, contractors were working on an indoor activity center for a high school in Argyle, Texas, when the 30 foot tall structure quickly collapsed, killing one man in the process.
Since the collapse in April of 2015, OSHA has concluded their investigation and issued a serious violation to both Northstar Builders Group, LLC and Warnick Metal Building Erectors, Ltd. and assessed $7,000 apiece in fines, according to NBC DFW. In the official letter from the US Department of Labor, the contractors violated 29 CFR 1926.754(a) by “failing to maintain structural stability at all times during the erection process.”
During the collapse, Julio Ledesma, a Warnick Metal Building Erectors employee, was working from an extended boom lift approximately 30 feet in the air, city officials said, and was killed.
Giant Sinkhole Swallows a 5 Lane Road in Japan
In November, a 98 foot (30m) by 88 foot (27m) section of roadway was completely swallowed by a sinkhole in Fukuoka, Japan. As crews were working on an underground subway line directly beneath the road, groundwater began to flow into the tunnel, according to the Asahi Shimbun. Shortly after, the road above began to collapse, exposing a flowing sewer line under the pavement. Luckily, no injuries were reported, but hundreds of residents and businesses were without power or gas, as the nearby utilities were compromised. Due to fear of the sinkhole growing, city officials ordered the hole to be filled in later that afternoon.
The earth can be a sort of an unmarked time capsule in many areas. It holds secrets of the past, some of which were hoped to never be found, but others that people dream of finding. Almost every project requires excavation or demolition in some way, so keep your eyes peeled for the next great discovery!