MIAMI -- A striking number of cranes tower over buildings under construction in Miami. It's a stunning picture of economic development, but there's growing concern that they are sitting ducks during hurricanes. Now a Miami-Dade Commissioner wants the county to establish a policy regarding cranes, safety and wind speeds.

"This is exactly what I'd like to do," said Commissioner Audrey Edmonson. "Save lives."

Five weeks into this hurricane season, Edmonson said while the Occupational Safety and Health Administration monitors cranes and safety at work sites, there is currently no set of guidelines from the county on what companies should do with their cranes as storms approach.

"During hurricanes, most construction companies allow their cranes to spin freely in the winds," said Edmonson. "And I think that is dangerous."

That practice is known in the construction industry as weathervaning, allowing cranes to swing with the wind like weathervanes.

Edmonson's call for a policy follows two recent accidents. On June 27, strong winds caused a crane to tip over onto the third floor of the new Burger King headquarters in Coral Gables. While no one was injured, an April mishap was deadly.

On April 17, 47-year-old Jesse Morris fell 39 stories while trying to secure a crane to the future Marina Blue building in downtown Miami. A piece of the crane that Morris was on broke loose. Traffic was kept away from the site for days, leading to massive congestion.

"I was stuck in that traffic for days," said Edmonson. "And some of my constituents asked me to look into safety. That made me try to do something about this situation."

At a Crane and Heavy Equipment Safety Work Group workshop that was prompted by that accident, safety experts noted that some companies already have established policies regarding their cranes---and storms. The policies state the conditions under which cranes should be allowed to swing freely in the wind and when parts of them should be lowered to the ground or dismantled.

"Most companies will adjust accordingly to the manufacturers' recommendations and all the manufacturers have recommendations according to the wind speeds," said Al Soto, the safety and risk director of Orlando-based Sims Crane. Soto was one of the experts invited to the workshop.

Edmonson will give her recommendations to Miami-Dade's Infrastructure and Land Use Committee. That Committee will then pass its recommendations along to the full Board of County Commissioners.

A Local 10 survey found at least 50 cranes at work sites in Miami-Dade between Miami Shores and Coral Gables.