Worker compelled to operate crane in severe winds killed after collapse

Click to read the article in Turkish

A tower crane collapsed due to extreme winds in an industrial site in Arnavutköy, İstanbul, killing the operator.

Despite other tower cranes in the Askoop Industrial Site ceasing operations due to the strong winds, 24-year-old operator Cem Özhan was forced to continue working due to the need for "urgent tasks."

Özgür Karabulut, the chair of the DİSK Dev Yapı-İş union, emphasized that tower cranes should not be operational when winds reach speeds of 45 km/h. None of the nearby cranes were in operation, and Özhan did not want to work in such conditions either.

Karabulut also pointed out that the well-worn crane in use might have not been able to withstand strong winds and prone to breaking.

Older machinery was used on the construction site because of cost reduction, he added, suggesting that newer machinery might have prevented such an accident.

Noting that the construction site failed to meet regulations in various aspects, Karabulut said, "The site is not enclosed. There are no occupational health and safety measures. It's an industrial facility in the middle of nowhere. It's far from scrutiny, which leads to all sorts of irregularities.

"We know that worker health and safety have been disregarded in the district. No labor laws are being applied. Workers are treated like slaves – they're paid their wages, but everything else is primitive. None of the safety measures, offices, cafeterias, or hygiene facilities that should be present on a construction site exist here."

According to data from the Health and Safety Labor Watch (İSİG), at least 201 workers lost their lives in work-related accidents in August alone. In the first eight months of 2023, the number of workers who died on the job stands at a minimum of 1,255. (VC/AD/VK)