PHOENIX — A construction crane crashing into an apartment complex in Dallas, leaving one person dead and more hurt and without homes.
The cause of the deadly accident still under investigation.
12 News found there are currently 5 "tower cranes" in use in the Valley, the same style which toppled over in Dallas.
The Dallas crane fell ever severe weather rolled through the area.
The start of monsoon season– bringing with it high winds, dust, and torrential downpours, is around the corner for Arizona.
“We know monsoon season is coming, we know high wind events are coming, but we deal with high wind events all the time,” said Omar Percy, Manager of Health, Safety and Environment at Sundt.
Sundt is one of the major construction companies in the Valley.
Percy said cranes come with manufactured guidelines on how much high winds each crane can handle. And before they go up are reinforced at the base, “Deep concrete, lots and lots of re-bar” Percy said.
Percy said the cranes are equipped to monitor the weather.
And have procedures in place to lock down, to prevent the cranes from crashing and swaying. When winds get too high, operators do not run the cranes, often trying to plan days out when to do certain construction projects based on the weather.
“When it becomes hazardous and we shut down,” Percy said. “Thousands of cranes are used throughout the United States, and you never hear about it.. because nothing ever happens. “
“Human lives are at risk, not from the general public but we are building the things there are employee and owners in those cranes or under and around those cranes, so we take this extremely seriously," Percy said.