Jan 7, 2008 8:25 pm US/Pacific
Crane Collapses Into SF Bay Off Pier 70
SAN FRANCISCO (CBS 5 / AP / BCN) ―
A dry dock crane operator was hospitalized after his crane collapsed into San Francisco Bay at Pier 70 on Monday, according to the U.S. Coast Guard and San Francisco Fire Dept.
Petty Officer Kevin Neff said it was not yet known what caused the crane to tip over into the water about 10 a.m.
The crane operator, who was pulled immediately from the wreckage by a tugboat, appeared to be unharmed.
The man was transported to San Francisco General Hospital as a precaution, said SFFD spokeswoman Mindy Talmadge.
A Coast Guard vessel dispatched about 10 minutes after the incident was reported discovered a sheen stretching for about 100 yards on the water near the scene of the collapse.
An estimated 50 gallons of oil leaked into the bay, U.S. Coast Guard Petty Officer Erik Swanson said.
The crane, owned by BAE Systems, can only hold about 100 gallons of oil at one time, according to Swanson. Officials said about 50 gallons were in the crane when it dropped into the water, Swanson said.
The company, which operates BAE Systems San Francisco Ship Repair, sent out its own hazardous materials cleanup team to mop up the oil, according to Swanson. Boons were put in place to keep the spill from spreading, and Coast Guard officials remained on scene to supervise.
The Division of Occupational Safety and Health, known as Cal/OSHA, will be in charge of investigating the crane accident to determine if the company in charge of the crane was using proper safety procedures before the accident occured, Talmadge said.
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