SNOWMASS VILLAGE, Colo. -- A crane collapsed at a hotel under construction in Snowmass Village Tuesday morning, injuring a worker.

The Pitkin County Sheriff's Office said the collapse was reported at 8:31 a.m. at 430 Wood Road.

The worker suffered a head laceration and was transported to Aspen Valley Hospital in stable condition.

A small welding tank exploded when it was hit by the falling crane, but the fire was quickly extinguished.

Officials were assessing the extent of damage to the building at the Viceroy Hotel construction site after the collapse. The project is owned and managed by Related WestPac.

According to The Aspen Times, the crane was lifting a pot of roofing tar that weighed nearly 10,000 pounds when a mechanical failure caused it to topple.

"We're labeling this, preliminarily, a mechanical failure. This is the type of thing that you dread in this industry,” Chad Olivier, construction manager for Viceroy contractor CFCPCL told The Times.

The crane that collapsed is owned by RMS Crane Service in Denver, Colo.

"Safety is always our first priority on our job sites," said Jim Dagostino, senior vice president of construction for Related Westpac. "We are conducting a thorough investigation."

The Occupational Safety and Health Administration will investigate the workplace accident to determine a cause. The construction site was closed until OSHA investigators could arrive.

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Video: Crane Accident

This is just one of many crane accidents that have occurred recently nationwide.

Currently, Colorado does not require crane operators to be certified to operate cranes. Some larger companies are requiring certification for operation.

Some experts say that requiring certification is forcing some of the more experienced operators to retire because of difficulties with the written portion of the exam.