31.07.2008

Kier honours tower crane team

The UK’s Kier Group has presented awards to members of a recovery team that dismantled one of its tower cranes that was severely damaged by fire and posed a threat to neighbouring residential properties.

The high-rise heroes include five members from the tower crane division of Kier Plant and two engineers from Liebherr, the manufacturer of the crane, which was engulfed in flames on a construction site in Edinburgh earlier this year. See blaze affects crane

The seven:- erection supervisor Maurice Gardiner, erectors Brian Fairfax and Kevin Thorp, operations manager Paul Linney, operations director Pat Glynn, and the Liebherr engineers - Andy Akers of Liebherr GB and Christian Jung, who flew from Germany to assist the recovery - were awarded engraved silver-plated clocks by John Morgan, Kier’s group director of safety, health and environment.
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(L-R) Kevin Thorp, John Morgan, Pat Glynn, Andy Akers and Brian Fairfax at a presentation ceremony at Kier Plant’s main depot.

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Maurice Gardiner

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Paul Linney

Morgan said: “When I heard about this, I wanted to congratulate these guys for their high standards of safety practice, expertise and commitment in a challenging situation. They excelled themselves.”
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(l-r) Kevin Thorp, Andy Akers and Brian Fairfax with their awards.

The crane was on hire to Bellway Homes for a timber-framed seven-storey apartment development in the Leith district of Edinburgh when fire broke out on Saturday, April 5, and spread rapidly. With the blaze close to occupied apartments on two sides and a railway line behind, it soon became a major incident involving 50 fire fighters, police, ambulance and other emergency services.

With growing concerns that the crane, together with the burning structure and its scaffolding, could collapse, 100 local residents were evacuated. Senior Kier Plant personnel were called in and consulted with Liebherr experts in the UK and Germany.

After being allowed onto the smouldering site to examine the crane the following day, Kier plant operations director Pat Glynn could see the 37mmetre high tower was “alarmingly” distorted. “Although not in immediate danger of collapse, it was apparent that the weakened tower would come under increasing stress during dismantling,” Glynn recalled afterwards.

Removing the crane was identified as top priority before the remains of the building and scaffolding could be demolished and residents allowed back. By the Monday Kier Plant and Liebherr were gearing up to organise and carry out the task over the next two days. “The police and the authorities were doubtful it could be done in the time,” says Glynn.

Kier Plant operations manager Paul Linney, who was placed in charge of the recovery, drew up a detailed method statement and risk assessment on his laptop, in consultation with an inspector from the Health & Safety Executive.

Kier called in three mobile cranes a 100 and a 200 tonne Liebherr plus a 130-tonne Grove. –One to support the 45metre jib, another to hold the back mast at the rear and a third to lift erectors in a cradle to carry out the dismantling of the upper works, totaling 25 tonnes.
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As two Mobile cranes support the structure the counterweights are removed

On Wednesday morning, Kier Plant erection supervisor Maurice Gardiner and Liebherr engineer Andy Akers were hoisted aloft, while Kier Plant erectors Brian Fairfax and Kevin Thorp used winching apparatus to send up tools and haul down components before breaking them up for transportation to Kier’s main plant workshops at Setchey, near Kings Lynn in Norfolk.
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Maurice Gardiner and Andy Akers begin dismantling the crippled crane.

The day-long operation went according to plan, although there was one heart-stopping moment, says Gardiner: “As we were lifting out the ballast blocks from the counter-jib, the tower structure suddenly righted itself with a loud bang.”

“We knew the crane would react as the loads were removed, but we became anxious for the guys up there,” said Fairfax, while Thorp added: “It was a bit scary, but our experts in Germany told us to expect something like this.”

Akers, who had previously worked for Kier Plant, said: “Working above, you could still see smouldering embers and feel the heat rising from the site, four days after the fire broke out.”

Glynn added: “This incident showed we can respond safely and effectively to an emergency situation. The efforts of all personnel concerned are commended and appreciated.”