DALLAS – High above the city, construction cranes slowly expand Dallas' skyline. Despite the progress though, a local councilman questions their safety.

"I'm asking the city manager to look at these cranes and the operators and get somebody out there to inspect them," said Mitchell Rasansky, Dallas City Council, District 13.

Yesterday, in Miami part of a crane fell 37 stories, as it was being added to the main structure, crushing two workers to death.

Ten days ago in New York, another crane collapsed, as it was being raised, killing seven.

The most recent accident in North Texas happened last summer, when a crane toppled into Presbyterian Hospital in Greenville. Two people were hurt then.

With so many cranes now on the Dallas skyline, Councilman Rasansky wants the city to ensure they're inspected and operating safely.

"I will do anything possible if we can save lives," he added.

Accomplishing that might be tough.

News8 has learned neither the city nor the state ever inspects cranes.

Instead contractors police themselves.

Looking closer at federal regulations, WFAA discovered OSHA only requires contractors have a "competent person" inspect cranes before use; not anyone specifically licensed or certified.

“A person shouldn't be allowed to inspect their own cranes, in my opinion,” explained Chet Good, Crane Inspectors, Inc. “And the people who are doing the inspection should be checked out a little more thoroughly."

Good, a private inspector, said he travels the world inspecting different types of cranes.

A prominent contractor agrees, you can never have too many eyes.

But most of the high profile accidents, the contractor points out, happened before inspections, when cranes were being erected or dismantled; accidents that Rasansky's best effort might not prevent.

E-mail jwhitely@wfaa.com