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06.01.2023
Tower crane over in Norway
A tower crane has overturned onto a shopping centre in Melhus to the south of Trondheim in northern Norway.
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The crane was out of service at the time an went over in the strong winds that hit the area early this morning. A second crane installed alongside was unaffected. Unlike its partner, the crane that went over had a counterweighted cruciform base that was unable to maintain stability in the winds, possibly due to a weather-vaning issue?
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One person was taken to hospital with crush injuries, while an employee at one of the shops on the top floor of the Melhustorget centre, where the crane landed, is still missing some four hours after the incident occurred, relatives have been informed and the fire and rescue services are still searching through the damaged building.
Update
Police have now confirmed that the missing person - a woman in her 50s from Trondheim - has been found, but sadly had died from injuries sustained in the incident,.
As you know I have Researched and Recorded 1252 Crane and Lifting
Incidents worldwide since Monday morning the 7th May 2007. Close Analysis of 2022 data reveals 73 incidents, all reported as follows….
6 x Crawler Crane Incidents in 2022, compared to 17 in 2021
16 x Tower Crane Incidents in 2022, compared to 19 in 2021
38 x Mobile Crane Incidents in 2022, compared to 54 in 2021
The other 13 incidents were improvised Lifting Operations using Telehandlers or what Parliament mistakenly called ‘Lorry Loaders’ instead of Hydraulic Cranes. Further analysis of this 2022 data reveals that…
42 x Persons Killed during 73 x Lifting Incidents worldwide in 2022 compared to 48 in 2021
46 x Examples of Poor Outrigger Set-Up or Short Rigged or No Mats compared to 60 in 2021.
64 x Incidents of Dropped Loads, Jibs, Booms, Ballast or Rigging compared to 90 in 2021.
This data confirm once again that Worker Safety is Important, very important and much too important to leave it to chance. Therefore may I take this opportunity to report the most egregious example of a negligent act researched in 2022. When an Overloaded Crawler Crane attempted a 50t lift which then caused the Crane to Tip forward to drop the Concrete load onto the car below in Dhaka, Bangladesh killing five (5) family members on 15th Aug 2022.
Please allow me to repeat the Legally correct Safety procedure known as RAMS…
1. Risk Assessment (RA) first to identify all foreseeable hazards. As SSoW is a UK obligation.
2. Method Statement (MS) second based upon mitigating the Hazards previously Identified in the RA down to the HSE std known as ‘As Low as Reasonably Practicable’ (or ALARP)
3. Lift Plan & Weather Forecast third and again before attempting the lift as Wind and Gusts of Wind can have a powerful and dangerous effect on the ‘Sail Area’ of Loads, Jibs & Booms.
Should you wish to Train your Staff in how to avoid ‘Accidents’ (not a word I normally use nor accept). Then please feel free to ask me how on 0044-1527-577-594 ?
Construction_Influencer
It's just incredible sad how this can happen again and again.
I am so sorry for this family of the lady working in this shopping centre.
I do remember those broken down Potains and Soima (Tournai/Belgium, Bremen/Germany, Krakow/Poland and Bayonne/France) killing and injuring so many people last year.
I do not understand why the tower cranes are still not calculated better that they can withstand higher wind forces...!
o
Good Morning Mr Wood,
As you know I have Researched and Recorded 1252 Crane and Lifting
Incidents worldwide since Monday morning the 7th May 2007. Close Analysis of 2022 data reveals 73 incidents, all reported as follows….
6 x Crawler Crane Incidents in 2022, compared to 17 in 2021
16 x Tower Crane Incidents in 2022, compared to 19 in 2021
38 x Mobile Crane Incidents in 2022, compared to 54 in 2021
The other 13 incidents were improvised Lifting Operations using Telehandlers or what Parliament mistakenly called ‘Lorry Loaders’ instead of Hydraulic Cranes. Further analysis of this 2022 data reveals that…
42 x Persons Killed during 73 x Lifting Incidents worldwide in 2022 compared to 48 in 2021
46 x Examples of Poor Outrigger Set-Up or Short Rigged or No Mats compared to 60 in 2021.
64 x Incidents of Dropped Loads, Jibs, Booms, Ballast or Rigging compared to 90 in 2021.
This data confirm once again that Worker Safety is Important, very important and much too important to leave it to chance. Therefore may I take this opportunity to report the most egregious example of a negligent act researched in 2022. When an Overloaded Crawler Crane attempted a 50t lift which then caused the Crane to Tip forward to drop the Concrete load onto the car below in Dhaka, Bangladesh killing five (5) family members on 15th Aug 2022.
Please allow me to repeat the Legally correct Safety procedure known as RAMS…
1. Risk Assessment (RA) first to identify all foreseeable hazards. As SSoW is a UK obligation.
2. Method Statement (MS) second based upon mitigating the Hazards previously Identified in the RA down to the HSE std known as ‘As Low as Reasonably Practicable’ (or ALARP)
3. Lift Plan & Weather Forecast third and again before attempting the lift as Wind and Gusts of Wind can have a powerful and dangerous effect on the ‘Sail Area’ of Loads, Jibs & Booms.
Should you wish to Train your Staff in how to avoid ‘Accidents’ (not a word I normally use nor accept). Then please feel free to ask me how on 0044-1527-577-594 ?
Kind Regards
Mike Ponsonby
Construction_Influencer
It's just incredible sad how this can happen again and again.
I am so sorry for this family of the lady working in this shopping centre.
I do remember those broken down Potains and Soima (Tournai/Belgium, Bremen/Germany, Krakow/Poland and Bayonne/France) killing and injuring so many people last year.
I do not understand why the tower cranes are still not calculated better that they can withstand higher wind forces...!