14.06.2016
Fatal crane overturn in Alabama
A crawler crane overturned on a highway project near the town of Parrish, northwest of Birmingham, Alabama yesterday killing the operator.
Please register to see all images
The crane operator jumped but was caught by the falling crane
The crane was working from a terrace on a sloping jobsite and looks as though it was preparing to tandem lift some concrete bridge beams, but the boom went over the back of the crane causing it to overturn. The operator sensing the crane start to go jumped out of the cab, but the crane then landed on him. He was declared dead at the scene.
That is all the information that we have at the moment.
Please register to see all images
An excavator stabilises the crane
Gideon
The construction regulations for these machines should be changed to make the cabs strong enough to be safe places in a roll over situation. There should be no uncertainty about staying safe inside or taking your chances by jumping out. Excavators have roll over protection, crawler/truck cranes should too.
Red
Been running cranes for over 40 years. Boom Trucks, Truck Cranes, Rough Terrains, Carrydecks. It's never clear cut when to stay in the cab, or bail out. I always try to think one or two steps ahead of what might go wrong, and where should I go if it does. We have all seen videos of operators jumping from cranes and surviving. We have seen stories where the operators were crushed. I lost a friend when his crane tipped over onto a low bed truck and he was crushed to death. I always have a safety meeting before work commences, try to identify what could go wrong, where to go, and where not to go. Also, if I see a good chance that something could go wrong, I won't make the pick. And I have been run off jobs because of it. To me it all boils down to safe practices, good communication between all parties involved, and not taking chances.
Mike74
This one really seems to bring out an old and worn-out question - when the things come to the worst, is it better to remain in the cab or not? For us the tower crane guys, the statistics are pretty clear - jumping out does not pay. But how is it with the ones with...their backs closer to the ground, so to say - truck/rough terrain/crawler crane operators?...