A forklift carrying steel rebar tipped over, crushing and killing a construction worker in Los Angeles on Monday, April 15. The Los Angeles Fire Department responded to a call at 1:27 p.m. about an adult male trapped under a forklift at 970 N. Moraga Drive in Bel Air. Reports do not indicate whether the worker was operating the machine or near it at the time of the incident. The worker, identified by the Los Angeles County Medical Examiner’s Office as 42-year-old Tony Gallegos, died on the scene from his injuries. "Despite the quick response of LAFD crews, including those specially trained, ce ..read more

The largest floating crane on the Eastern Seaboard has begun removing debris from the wreckage of the collapsed I-695/Francis Scott Key Bridge over the Baltimore Port channel. The Chesapeake 1000 crane, nicknamed Chessy, can been seen in the video at the end of this story hauling off large debris from the collapsed bridge. The crane, which has a lifting capacity of 1,000 tons, was contracted out by the Naval Sea Systems Command for the task of removing debris after the cargo ship Dali struck a pillar of the bridge March 26 causing its decks to collapse into the Patapsco River. Donjon Marine Co ..read more

Dynapac has joined in the effort to shine a brighter light on the issue of mental health challenges and suicide within the construction industry. The company was one of the first manufacturers to sign the Suicide in Construction Awareness Proclamation spearheaded by Dr. Vince Hafeli, president of Ajax Paving Industries of Florida. He has taken the lead in a national campaign promoting awareness of suicide and mental health wellness in the construction industry. Combined, Dynapac and Hafeli used World of Asphalt 2024 as an opportunity to shine some light on the topic. Read more ..read more

Bobcat has named 16 North American dealers to its 2024 Dealer Leadership Group. The program honors the company’s highest-performing dealers out of its 300-plus dealer enterprises in the United States and Canada.  “Every year, our dealer network keeps raising the bar,” shared Brady Seavert, vice president of construction sales at Bobcat. “We're thrilled to recognize these outstanding businesses for their dedication and impressive accomplishments across the board.” The 2024 Bobcat Dealer Leadership Group includes:  Bobcat of Brandon – Manitoba, Canada Bobcat of Brantford, Inc ..read more

Alternatively powered construction equipment and tools continue to be the talk of trade shows with more new prototypes and models rolling out at every event. ConExpo 2023 served as the catalyst for many of these announcements, with nearly every major manufacturer teasing or showcasing their battery or hydrogen construction equipment, along with charging and fueling solutions. This year’s CES, World of Concrete, ARA Show and World of Asphalt also saw their share of headlines – from Cat debuting its battery-powered R1700 XE LHD underground loader and 301.9 electric compact excavator to Crat ..read more

Boeing’s outgoing CEO Dave Calhoun will also exit Caterpillar’s board of directors, according to a report from Reuters. Calhoun informed Caterpillar of his decision to forgo re-election to the board at the company’s 2024 annual shareholder meeting, the company said in an April 3 regulatory filing. “Mr. Calhoun’s decision was not the result of any disagreement with the Company. The Board of Directors is very grateful to Mr. Calhoun for his valuable contributions and many years of dedicated and excellent service,” the statement said. Caterpillar’s Board of Directors currently has 10 members. Cal ..read more

To help businesses promote their efforts in sustainable and more environmentally friendly practices, the Oregon Department of Environmental Quality has launched the Diesel Emissions Identification Program. It is a voluntary emissions control labeling program for owners and operators of non-road and on-road construction equipment, including excavators, concrete mixer trucks, and dump trucks. Labels are provided to identify the engine exhaust emissions profile for each piece of equipment at a construction site. “As Oregon’s population continues to grow, we are seeing more housing and c ..read more

An Oregon man is lucky to be alive after a runaway saw blade struck the wall of a convenience store, moments after he walked inside. Surveillance footage shows Shane Reimche, 43, walking into the Quick Trip Market in Eugene, Oregon, on March 28, when a large concrete saw blade shoots across the parking lot from a nearby construction site. (Check out footage of the incident in the video below.) The blade lodged itself deep into the store’s wall, just inches away from the main entrance that Reimche had walked in seconds earlier. Reimche told OregonLive that as he approached the door, he hea ..read more

At the ARA Show in New Orleans in February, Equipment World caught up with Leandro Lecheta, CNH Industrial’s head of construction equipment for North America. Lecheta oversees both the Case Construction Equipment and New Holland Construction Equipment brands and the CNH Industrial Aftermarket Solutions business — the company’s parts and service organization. Below he shares his thoughts on the state of the industry, the possible impact of the presidential election, if more heavy machine launches are on the horizon, and where the company is placing its technology bets. CNH IndustrialEquipment W ..read more

After 2022, the construction industry’s deadliest year since 2005 for trench collapses, at least 18 more workers have died in trenches, according to online safety records and media reports. The deaths have been reported across the U.S., from Georgia to California, with the most common OSHA citation being failure to use proper cave-in protection – primarily, a trench box. Some states had more than one fatal collapse during that time. Oklahoma and New York each had three deaths since 2022. Texas and California each had two fatalities. (A brief description of each of the 18 fatalities is provided ..read more