Devon Energy Center

[OKC@heart]

Our good ol red dirt wasn't prepared for all of this activity!! Lol

I have seen or heard nothing that indicated that the dirt played any role in the accident and further from the look of it, the dirt is the one thing that remained in place.

As is typical of most crane accidents (with few exceptions) it boils down to operator error, usually in the area of judgement.

[dedndcrusr]

One thing that could have been a factor is today's high wind. The form that was being lifted at the time had a lot of surface area and could have acted as a sail.

[jn1780]

I was watching the skyline cam a minute or two before the crane fell over before I started doing something else. The crane was lifting the panel into the air at that time. Shows how little time it takes to miss something.

I hope this doesn't delay the project too long. Looks like form installation is halted for today.

[ourulz2000]

I hope this doesn't delay the project too long. Looks like form installation is halted for today.

Tis a flesh wound.

[OKCisOK4me]

Our good ol red dirt wasn't prepared for all of this activity!! Lol

Cranes fall over while stationary on hard ground too. I doubt it was the dirt. I've seen videos on youtube of boom cranes falling down while on streets...

[Lauri101]

Devon March 30 incident - a set on Flickr

Here are pictures taken right after incident.
It was rather interesting - immediately after the topple, there was a lot of stuff on the ground - mostly trash/scraps.
An hour later, that area was clean. My picture 100-3094 shows the pre-clean-up area. I didn't take any afterwards.

[okc_bel_air]

Another angle.

[OKC@heart]

Great Shots, thanks to both of you for taking the time to capture and post the images. It will be interesting to see when and how they decide to right the toppled crane. I would imagine it takes a fairly large one or two to make it happen, 60 tons is a lot of crane to pull over, while trying to avoid flatening the buildings around it.

[Lauri101]

I don't even know how they'd start, unless it would be to perhaps dismantle the crane?

Thank God it wasn't one of the tower cranes. I could see some of the faces after it happened and you could tell the workers were visibly shaken.

[kinggober]

Great Shots, thanks to both of you for taking the time to capture and post the images. It will be interesting to see when and how they decide to right the toppled crane. I would imagine it takes a fairly large one or two to make it happen, 60 tons is a lot of crane to pull over, while trying to avoid flatening the buildings around it.

A large black crane just arrived on site

[jn1780]

Another angle.

I guess that crane wasn't designed to reach that far. LOL

I wonder if the tower crane could pick up those forms from its location. The boom can reach, but the weight is further away from the center.

[okiemoe]

Tonight I heard that this was the third crane accident on this site, if so then I believe three times is enough.

What scares me is the height that this building is going to be. The further the building rises out of the ground the more the public will be at DANGER. For instance if an green 8 foot masonry wall falls it will fall at least 8 feet from the base outward. So people within that 8 feet are in danger. How many people will be in danger when they get to the top floor at 850 feet, and a crane topples? How many buildings will be within 850 feet from the Devon Tower? How many people will be affected? Thank god there were no fatalities with any of these accidents.

As a community there is a lot of pride that Devon has chosen Oklahoma City to build this highrise. Devon must get involved if they care about the community that they are building in. Actually they have a responsibility to the communty. Are they waiting for a fatality before doing something? Devon please hire a competent company to build your building.

[okcmomentum]

Here's a few more shots of the toppled crane and the site as best as I could get it through the mesh.

[Dean-Brown]

Looks like they have some equipment down by the crane. They might be trying to move it this morning.

[ronronnie1]

Wow, are the 3 stooges running this project or what? First they almost flattened the library workers, and now this?

Predicition: How long till someone is killed on this job site? Taking bets here.

[hipsterdoofus]

Wow, are the 3 stooges running this project or what? First they almost flattened the library workers, and now this?

Predicition: How long till someone is killed on this job site? Taking bets here.

Well...it does seem a little scary to think about what could have happened - but just a wild guess here that on a project this massive, accidents happen.

[ultimatesooner]

they need to get that crane out of the way and get back to work

[soonerwilliam]

What's going on with the OKC Skyline Cam? Nothing but horizon!!!

[sroberts24]

drove by and saw a fire truck with lights on inside the site... Maybe just for precautionary measures while the move the crane

[okcthunder2k9]

drove by and saw a fire truck with lights on inside the site... Maybe just for precautionary measures while the move the crane

Was walking by around that time and saw an ambulance with siren on enter on the south side near the temporary buildings (close proximity to the toppled crane). The workers near the entrance gate seemed to be waiving the ambulance somewhat frantically towards a certain area. I didn't get a great view, but there seemed to be some concern on their faces. Possibly as if this as something more than a minor incident.

Has anybody heard anything about this?

[jbrown84]

Devon must get involved if they care about the community that they are building in. Actually they have a responsibility to the communty. Are they waiting for a fatality before doing something? Devon please hire a competent company to build your building.

Wow. Overreact much??

[OKC@heart]

I take job safety very serious, but I think people have been far too quick to forget that it was not so long ago that there were anticipated casualties when building a structure of this magnitude. Sometimes the tolls could be quite high. We live in an age where the technology and safety procedures on site are second to none! You cannot remove all danger from a construction site it is and always will be inherently risky. With the magnitude and scope of this project and the whole site being constantly under construction when humans operating machinery make an error in judgment it is called an accident. Sometimes there are casualties associated.

This certainly does not implicate Holder or Flintco as incompetent, and to suggest so is ridiculous and so far off base that it is a little bit embarrassing to read.

I hope and pray that all who are participating in this build out will be spared accidents and that we can continue to be as fortunate that when they do happen we can avoid injury and death.

[jbrown84]

This certainly does not implicate Holder or Flintco as incompetent, and to suggest so is ridiculous and so far off base that it is a little bit embarrassing to read.

[clz46]

I know for a fact that Flintco has earned many national safety awards. Maybe we should wait for the report before anyone decides that either company(s) were "incompetent." Please bear that in mind before making judgments.

[Rover]

It is naive to think that construction sites like this are not inherently dangerous. Companies like Flintco, Hines, etc. employ rigid safety standards, but sometimes accidents happen anyway. Crane safety has been a big issue everywhere in the US. There were deaths in Seattle two years ago, and at City Center site in Las Vegas there were several deaths. We should pray we don't have any here on this project.