Lunda under investigation after second crane collapse

A crane collapsed on the Butte des Morts bridge Thursday in Winnebago County, killing one worker from Spancrete who was working for Lunda Construction and injuring another. (AP File Photo/Oshkosh Northwestern, Joe Sienkiewicz)

OSHKOSH, Wis. (AP) — Safety investigators are allowing contractors to resume work on the Oshkosh bridge where a worker died in a crane collapse last week.

However, as a result of Thursday’s accident, Lunda Construction Co. is now under investigation for its second crane fatality this year.

A Lunda worker was operating a crane Thursday when a 52-ton girder collapsed and killed a 35-year-old Green Bay man. And in April, a Lunda employee was killed while unloading a crane in Brown County.

According to a U.S. Department of Labor spokeswoman, the company is now at risk of being placed in a severe-violator program, which mandates certain compliance inspections.

An Oshkosh Northwestern report says Lunda has received five safety violations since 2009.

A message left with the Black River Falls company Saturday wasn’t immediately returned.

Information from: Oshkosh Northwestern, http://www.thenorthwestern.com