Crane collapses at Kent County jail

GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. (WOOD) - A construction crane collapsed around 9 a.m. Friday at the Kent County Correctional Facility in Grand Rapids.

The jail has been undergoing a renovation project. The machine fell into the new construction and the old garage area from 1956 next to the main building. This garage area contains the car ports, garage workers and radio workers.

The 250-foot crane was moving concrete over to the main building for such tasks as pouring floors, brick-laying, and moving large windows and frames. At the time of the collapse, the crane was moving a large bucket of wet cement when a cable holding the bucket snapped, Kent County Undersheriff Jon Hess said.

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The main sheriff's office and garage area at 703 Ball Ave. NE were immediately evacuated. The main jail area was not compromised, Hess said during a news conference later in the morning.

All of the construction workers, about 15 in the area at the time, were accounted for. One of them was taken to Metro Health and treated and released.

Two inmate trustees were also taken to a hospital after suffering minor injuries when they ran from the building. They were hit with glass and other debris, Hess said.

About a hundred construction workers and 50 to 60 sheriff's department employees were inside the administrative end of the building when the crane collapsed.

The area was secured, including the surrounding neighborhood, to search for any possible gas leaks or electrical problems, Hess said.

Plans were unveiled about a year ago that includes razing and replacing portions constructed in 1958 and 1974 that have outdated heating, plumbing and electrical units, according to a news release.

The renovated areas of the jail include direct supervision housing, with energy-efficient heating and electrical systems, along with a new video visitation system that improves safety for staff and inmates.

The project was scheduled for completion at the beginning of 2013. It's currently about 10 weeks behind schedule due to several factors, including the weather, Kent County Undersheriff John Hess said.

He said it is unknown the extent of a new delay caused by this crane accident. But he said crews had been making good progress recently.

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The crane is owned by a G2 Erectors in Cedar Springs.

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Northwest Kent Mechanical Co. is the main subcontractor for this project.

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Owen-Ames-Kimball is providing construction management services for this project and released a statement on Friday --

"At all times throughout construction, safety is our number one priority. Unfortunately, accidents do occasionally occur. We have accounted for all of the people on site at the Kent County Correctional Facility this morning and it appears there are no serious injuries. Three minor injuries have been officially reported. We are currently investigating the cause of the crane accident and have no further information at this time. Owen-Ames-Kimball is providing Construction Management services for this project. We ask that you do not contact at this time, as we are working to respond to the accident. We plan to release an additional statement at a later date. We strive for the safest job sites on all of our projects. We are confident we will quickly identify the extent of any injuries, remedy the cause of the accident and continue to build addition to the Kent County Correctional Facility, keeping safety at the forefront of our practices."