TALHASSEE, Fla. (WFLA) – Last year’s hurricane left a mark in the area, destroying homes and businesses, and toresting the roof of Tropicana Field. We also saw a construction crane in downtown St. Petersburg collapse. In response, state lawmakers launched a “listening tour” to assess what the state did and where there was a shortage.
Lawmakers have asked constituents and local governments what needs to change before the next hurricane hits. These conversations led to one major hurricane bill, which focused on crane safety, especially following the collapse of the St. Petersburg crane.
“Residents everywhere felt very dissatisfied because they felt like they were avoided,” state Sen. Fiona McFarland (R-Sarasota) said.
When Milton hit St. Petersburg last October, strong winds caused a crane to crash into another building along the way. Then lawmakers knew they needed to find a solution.
“Before the bill was passed, the current law was pretty silent about how cranes should be handled on construction sites,” McFarland said.
There may have been building and safety standards, but there were no specific rules regarding cranes during the hurricane.
“It’s the unique kind of situation where OSHA is responsible for health and crane operator safety, but there was no state enforcement or national mechanism when it comes to what we were laying out.”
Currently, construction sites need to secure winding equipment 24 hours before a hurricane collides.
“All working sites require a plan that can be used for inspections, and the plan details that it is a timeline where equipment is on site, what it needs to be protected, and if it needs to be removed,” McFarland said.
Those who choose to violate the new law may lose their license.
Gov. Ron DeSantis has not signed the new bill yet. In October he responded to a crash on the crane, saying that he needed more common sense.
“The question is, should we have more regulations and common sense? Do we need to regulate everything? So, most people will get the crane down,” DeSantis said.
After giving opinions from the construction industry, the construction industry, local towns and cities, lawmakers say they have struck a balance that all parties can agree on.
