OSHA cites company for deadly crane collapse

DE PERE - A Black River Falls construction company is facing $21,000 in potential fines following a deadly crane collapse in Brown County.

The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) issued three citations against Lunda Construction.

Raymond Aschenbrenner, 59, of Black River Falls died April 20 when a crane arm fell on him. The incident on the U.S. 41 construction project happened just south of Scheuring Road near De Pere.

OSHA says the violations involve failing to train workers and provide written procedures on safe crane assembly, provide a competent person to supervise the assembly and disassembly of the crane, and follow the manufacturer's recommended procedures for assembly of the crane.

Lunda's corporate counsel, Joshua Swanson, declined to comment when contacted Thursday.
    
It was the second fatal crane accident involving Lunda this year. A Lunda worker was operating a crane July 5 on a bridge in Oshkosh when a girder collapsed and killed a Green Bay man.