07.06.2016

Crane overturn in Brisbane

A five axle All Terrain crane has overturned in the centre of Brisbane, Queensland, Australia this morning.

The crane was working on a new office tower in Grey Street and had the fully retracted boom fully elevated with telescoped swingaway extension fitted and appears to have been short rigged at the back , allowing it to overturn backwards. From the information and photos that we have received it is not possible to tell if ground conditions played a role.
Please register to see all images

The crane blocked the street and will take some time to clean up

Reports suggest that the operator was in the process of closing the crane up to leave the area. No one was injured in the incident, although the operator was being treated by paramedics.
Please register to see all images

The crane overturned backwards

The crane, which appears to be a Terex owned by BSF Mobile crane services and was working for the contractor Watpac. The crane operator was trapped in his cab and was rescued by the emergency services, who are also helping with the recovery.
Please register to see all images

It looks as though outrigger set up was an issue

Watpac issued a statement saying: "We are working closely with Workplace Health and Safety Queensland to determine the cause of this incident. Workplace Health and Safety Queensland have commenced investigations and taken control of the site while the clean-up occurs over the course of the afternoon and evening. There will be some traffic disruption while this clean-up is undertaken and the crane is removed from site. We apologise for this inconvenience."