17.02.2017
Israel tower crane collapse
A tower crane came down across a road in Bat Yam, to the south of Tel Aviv in Israel, seriously injuring the operator and causing injuries to three others, including a child.
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It appears that the foundation failed
Those injured were in their cars when the crane went over with the tower landing on a car on the road in which a man was sitting, the tower came down across the back seat, but he still received moderate yet extensive injuries. The jib flipped over the back and came down on several cars in an adjacent car park, including one in which a man and his young daughter were sitting, they received minor injuries. The fact that no one was killed is miraculous. Police and the Labour and Social Services Ministry are conducting a joint investigation.
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The driver of this car escaped with moderate injuries
The crane was a large free standing model sitting in a basement hole, it seems that the foundation gave way, allowing the crane to go over backwards with the cab and counterweight landing on a boundary wall.
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The operator was seriously injured but remained concious
Yuval Atia, owner of main contractor Mivnim & Netivim and two site managers were held for questioning and later released. The crane is reported to have had all the necessary licenses and permits and the initial blame is on a “technical failure”. The area is said to be prone to strong winds.
UPDATE
The crane operator, Eli Shkolnik, remained in hospital for two years and had a number of operations, and eventually had to have his leg amputated.
The construction company Mivnim and Netivim, along with two of its managers, were indicted on June 19th 2020 for the collapse of the crane
The company and its managers at the site, Guy and Omer Atiya, have been charged with acting recklessly and negligently by failing to take the required precautions for ensuring the crane’s stability and safety, and by positioning it in a way that endangered its stability causing the incident which endangered the lives of those on the site as well as passers by. The maximum penalty includes three years imprisonment.
The prosecution said the delay in the indictment was due to the difficulty of proving negligence in the handling of the crane and the need to obtain an opinion from the Standards Institute about the reason for the collapse, which is the case’s main piece of evidence.
JCM AP
Once again an accident caused by inadequate base, footing, grillage, etc. A valid lift-plan issued by an accredited competent-person backed by engineering confirmation of ground loads/ temporary works would do away with this risk whether it be a mobile, crawler or tower crane.
The majority of serious accidents either involve issues with the base of the crane or clashes. Both of these are avoidable with adequate management.
Good Evening Mr Wood,
Lifting Operations are inherently Dangerous, as we are always attempting to Defeat Gravity. So on Friday 14th October 2011, I asked you personally ( as we were both present at the ESTA Meeting in Edinburgh) about Crane Safety, in particular how the ongoing Death Toll could be reduced.
The dismissive reply that I received was “Leave it to the Experts, Leave it to the Experts” (In fact you said it Twice) : So as 5yrs has now elapsed since your dismissive remark. It is very noticeable that no-one else is speaking up for the Dead in the Crane Industry, therefore I will. Moreover my 10 yrs of Research into Crane Incidents Worldwide confirms that…………….
1. Four Hundred and Two (402) Crane and Lifting Related Fatal Incidents Worldwide, including 32 in the UK alone since 1st Sept 2007.
2. That is One Crane or Lifting Related Fatality every 4.5 days since your dismissive reply:- "Leave it to the Experts, Leave it to the Experts”.
3. With the same Negligent Crane circumstances being Repeated over & over & over again. For Example Outriggers Short-rigged, or Worse Still Retracted as in the Crane Rollover Incident at Hinckley on Friday 14th of Oct 2016.
So in the absence of any other Crane Safety Initiatives, it is my submission to the Crane Industry that it should…..
4. Adopt ‘ Safe Systems of Work’, so that when something goes wrong it does not Lead to Death(s) or Injury(s).
5. Start a Safety Training Programme called ‘ How to Avoid Crane Incidents ’ and incorporating the Laws of Physics.
6. Invite the CEO and all others invited to attend, because if he or she is not committed to Crane Safety, No-one else will be.
As my Spreadsheet recording 10 years of Research into Crane Safety now confirms that 402 Men, Women and Children have been Killed Worldwide by 364 Crane and Lifting Operation Incidents since 1st September 2007.
Because Worker Safety is very important and if we dont act now, its only a Matter of Time before some CEO is Jailed by a Court for yet another Crane and/or Lifting Incident Fatality, like the MD in Airdrie on 6th Jan 2017 ?
With Kindest Regards.
Mike Ponsonby