02.01.2017

Crane operator charged

Crane operator Mark Powell has been charged with manslaughter following a fatal incident in Winters, near Sacramento, California in 2014 which killed his son Marcus Zane Powell, 25, and Glenn Allen Hodgson, 49, while working on the Winters Road Bridge over the Putah Creek that connects Yolo and Solano counties at a Northern California. See the original accident report – Two men die in man basket fall

The two men were working from a man basket suspended from the crane, at a height of around 24 metres. They were repairing a drill rig when something gave way causing the basket to drop. The investigation revealed that the crane was not certified, according to California OSHA.

Powell also faces two felony counts of violating occupational safety or health standards causing death. The contractor Disney Construction was fined $100,000 for workplace violations