Construction firm fined for using crane to hoist workers

The Washington State Department of Labor & Industries said Wednesday that it fined a construction company for using a crane to lift workers after an elevator breakdown.

The department cited Seattle-based Lane Construction Corp. for two “willful serious” and two “serious” violations and fined the company $155,300 following a July workplace inspection.

During the investigation, inspectors discovered workers riding a crane lift to get in and out of a 95-foot vertical shaft at a construction site for Seattle Public Utilities’ Ship Canal Water Quality Project.

The department also said the company failed to adhere to a minimum 20-foot clearance distance from power lines while hoisting the workers.