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How can that sort of thing happen? Must be loads of those things stood up all over the place. Falling over must be the obvious first thing you design out, surely they must be designed not to Fall?
How are they usually anchored etc?
The most dangerous time is when the crane is being erected or dismantled.
It was being erected.
Depending on the time it will be in place, and the available space, the base is either bolted down to a big concrete foundation cast into the ground, or weighted down by concrete blocks known as kentledge stacked on the base. The photos of the recent one appear to show the base tipped over, with no sign of either.
The photos of the recent one appear to show the base tipped over, with no sign of either.
I suspect when it tipped, it knocked the blocks off the stand. I'd be amazed if they erected it with no weights on the base.
How can that sort of thing happen?
Humans have a way of ****ing up even the most carefully designed things. Safety regs are a PITA, so taking shortcuts often becomes routine, people turn up drunk, safety inspections get missed, etc. My all-time favourite industrial accident was the Japanese nuclear fuel workers who were in a hurry so just poured bucket loads of uranium into a tank, completely ignoring the safety precautions designed to stop them killing themselves.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tokaimura_nuclear_accident#1999_Accident
How can that sort of thing happen?
It is extremely rare TBF.
It was an accident. Accidents happen.
Thankfully rare - something in a process or a piece of equipment will have failed, possibly human error.
Lessons will be learned and procedures/training tightened to try and stop it happening again.
I remember once being taught that a crane a week goes over in the UK - usually not like this admittedly.
This happened earlier in the year.
Brand new ship being tested. The lifting hook broke at a fraction of its rated capacity. The combined action of dropping the load, and the opposing ballast tanks meant the ship rolled suddenly.
The video starts as the boom flips backwards over the top of the crane, and then the hook gets dragged up through the structure and narrowly misses the operators cabin!
I remember years ago in the centre of Harrogate some work was being one on the gable end of the huge Victorian terraces near Betty's (which was a bar) and the open end was being supported by nothing but the hydraulic boom arm of a crane. The construction team switched off the power to the vehicle and went home at 5.30 on the Friday night. Later that night (thankfully just after closing time) the pressure on the arm caused it to decompress enough (as it was no longer being powered) so it couldn't support the wall and half the building came down. Had it happened an hour early there would have been mass casualties, including myself and lots of my friends.
I think that was Yates bar that bit the dust
The most dangerous time is when the crane is being erected or dismantled.
It was being erected.
This.
However, as others have suggested they should be either bolted down or secured with big blocks so don't really understand how it fell over from the base.
I work in heavy Engineering and whilst there are always risks with lifting/cranes it is pretty well regulated in the UK - unlike most of the developing world.
Sounds like there's been some kind of significant structural failure. The crane manufacturer's site operative is also in a critical condition in hospital.
I think that was Yates bar that bit the dust
You're right - I couldn't recall the name 🙂
Looks like many things went wrong on this one..
My all-time favourite industrial accident was the Japanese nuclear fuel workers who were in a hurry so just poured bucket loads of uranium into a tank, completely ignoring the safety precautions designed to stop them killing themselves.
The Russians kind of one-upped them by deciding they knew better than physics and thus not bothering to wait the 24 hours (or whatever it was) required for their reactor core to return to a safe operating condition before turning the taps right up.
My all-time favourite industrial accident was the Japanese nuclear fuel workers who were in a hurry so just poured bucket loads of uranium into a tank, completely ignoring the safety precautions designed to stop them killing themselves.
Horrific that, the bloke basically melted over a few months whilst being kept alive. Really come across like homor Simpson some of these nuclear workers
Not sure how we diverted onto nuclear accidents, but even little reactor accidents are pretty horrific. 3 killed, one of whom was pinned to the ceiling by a control rod at Idaho Falls in '60s.
I remember once being taught that a crane a week goes over in the UK – usually not like this admittedly.
Sounds like one of those facts that date before H&S was taken seriously on building sites. Accidents resulting in pretty serious injuries didn’t used to be that uncommon. The nanny state, the HSE, and the prospect of eye watering fines for all involved has made accidents rare, at least with legitimate building companies.
What happened to the British right to have your employees walking off semi complete scaffolding? The nation is going to the dogs I tell you
Sounds like one of those facts that date before H&S was taken seriously on building sites
I showed some photos of my workshop build to a friend who works for one the big construction giants and immediately he reeled off about 20 H&S violations which would have got him sacked has they happened on one of his projects. Was quite an eye opener...
The Russians kind of one-upped them by deciding they knew better than physics and thus not bothering to wait the 24 hours (or whatever it was) required for their reactor core to return to a safe operating condition before turning the taps right up.
If you're talking about Chernobyl then that's not really how it happened. There was a lot of ignorance regarding xenon poisoning and near misses weren't talked about, publicly or otherwise. There were a lot of factors at play that night but wilful ignorance (regarding this specific case) wasn't one of them.
Looking at the scaffolders arguing about “nobby being f#£&ing useless” whilst dismantling a tin roof scaffold next door that must be twice the height of a normal house I wouldn’t be surprised if one doesn’t fall off by the end of the day.
No fall arrest or work positioning and at least a 15 metre fall onto a concrete yard. None even have hard hats despite stood at the bottom catching scaffolding bits!
Looking at the scaffolders arguing about “nobby being f#£&ing useless” whilst dismantling a tin roof scaffold next door that must be twice the height of a normal house I wouldn’t be surprised if one doesn’t fall off by the end of the day.
Scaffolders tend to work to a different reality to anyone else on sites, I suspect either because they are gone before the HSE get someone out for an inspection or the site manager has too much to get to grips with at the start of a job. I once had a big run in with a firm after having two of their staff thrown off site (they were having a snowball fight, except they were using scaffolding clamps, five storeys up above a crowded beach front promenade).
We've had lots of scaffold companies come through work usually subbed, got to a point I was sick of young gung-ho monkey swinging tube chuckers.
Happened to have a localish company come in as a 3rd party and they were brilliant, older guys, took their time, all matching corporate PPE/clothing, tied on at all times. I set an account up with them and use them all the time.
There was a similar crane collapse in Liverpool a few years ago at Rope Walks and quite a few more uk and worldwide every year.
Sobering stuff.
I once had a big run in with a firm after having two of their staff thrown off site
One of the main reasons I don't miss construction H&S consulting is not having to deal with some of the fools used to put up scaffolds.