New York Law Ups Penalties for Falsifying Crane Licenses

August 11, 2008 • New York State has increased criminal and civil penalties for anyone who compromises crane inspections and licensing. The law, which takes effect Nov. 1, makes altering licensing exams a felony and imposes fines of up to $5,000 for inspectors who falsify a report, and permanently revokes their licenses, according to an article on Newsday.com.

Gov. David Paterson, who signed the bill into law last week, said that crane accidents, which have killed at least nine people in New York City this year, have raised concerns about the safety of building sites. The new law is intended to signal “zero tolerance” for wrongdoing with crane inspections.

Days after a March 15 crane collapse, a Department of Buildings inspector was arrested for falsifying inspection records. This summer, a department employee was charged with assisting crane operators with licensing tests.