CHARLOTTE, N.C. — After four people died when a crane collapsed in downtown Seattle on Saturday, some are wondering just how safe are the cranes hovering above Charlotte's streets and sidewalks.
They've been a part of our skyline for years. One look at the Queen City and it's hard not to spot one.
"Charlotte has had a lot of tower cranes up," said Mike Bramen, crane inspector with Affordable Crane Care out of Concord.
"Right now, you have about 10," he said as he guessed the number of cranes in uptown.
They're popping up just as frequently as buildings. Bramen said we can expect to see several more, too.
"There's supposed to be 10 to 15 more going up in the next year," he added.
"Honestly, every second I look out the window when I'm at work, there's a new crane that pops up," said Sam DeBerry, a Charlotte resident.
Although we don't think of them often, as they move above you, they can be daunting.
"It does bring up some cause of concern, especially with the weather recently -- it being very windy," DeBerry said.
On Saturday, a crane crashed on a downtown Seattle street, killing two crane workers and two bystanders below, according to investigators. The accident also hurt a mother and baby, authorities said.
Investigators are still trying to determine was caused the crane to collapse but believe Seattle's erratic weather on Saturday could have played a role.
"When tower cranes go down, it's a freak accident," Bramen explained.
Bramen, who has inspected cranes for more than 20 years, said they are most vulnerable when being put up or taken down.
"It's the most dangerous part," he said. "Assemble and disassembly, you need little to no wind at all."
Over the years, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) has tightened rules and regulations. However, it's up to contractors to go by them.
As an inspector and operator, Bramen checks everything.
"Make sure the bolts are torqued, cotter keys are in pins, hoist cables, no broken wires," he explained.
Bramen said tower cranes can withstand wind upwards of 200 miles per hour, but that's after they're fully assembled.
"When big storms come through, we put them in weather vane. That just lets them spin freely which reduces the friction on the crane and tower," Bramen said. "We keep a strong eye on the weather."
Although some are concerned about the cranes towering overhead, Bramen insists they are safe, even during their most vulnerable times.
"We'll shut streets down for the weekend, and that's mainly when we do the erection and disassembles -- on the weekend when traffic is light," he said. "You're safe. You are completely safe."