SunCranes under scrutiny

The Washington state Department of Labor & Industries has shut down the operation of three tower cranes on construction jobsites in Seattle and Renton, according to news reports. The state shut down the three cranes because of safety issues, according to the Seattle Post-Intelligencer.

According to the newspaper, the three cranes are the SunCrane brand, which are manufactured in China. All three are owned by Dallas-based Lewis Equipment. According to news reports, all three cranes' electrical systems don't meet code requirements and two have not been certified for structural integrity.

Throughout the country, tower cranes are under the microscope after accidents in New York and Florida. A tower crane accident in November 2006 in Bellevue, WA prompted new and more stringent laws regarding tower crane operation and crane operator certification.

Lewis Equipment has said it will release a statement about the cranes this week.