While the labour ministry completes its review of a tower crane collapse in Thornhill, Ont. in which the operator escaped with only minor injuries, all eyes are on crane safety in Ontario. On Oct. 23, 2009, witnesses reported several loud bangs seconds before the back of the machine fell into a six-storey building under construction at 1500 Steeles Ave. W. Emergency crews needed another crane to free the operator, who sustained lacerations and a broken arm. The Thornhill collapse happened at a significant time. Just two years earlier, confronted with a rash of crane-related mishaps and safety violations, the ministry launched a province-wide inspection blitz and a review of existing rules governing the maintenance and operation of tower cranes.
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