Comments on: Another construction crane kills, with no end in sight http://www.jimadler.com/newsandviews/2008/07/another-construction-crane-kills-with-no-end-in-sight/ Tue, 27 Dec 2011 15:22:30 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.1.1 By: Howard http://www.jimadler.com/newsandviews/2008/07/another-construction-crane-kills-with-no-end-in-sight/comment-page-1/#comment-488 Howard Thu, 04 Dec 2008 17:54:26 +0000 http://www.jimadler.com/newsandviews/?p=73#comment-488 If you look at the pictures taken at the scene in Oklahoma City it's obvious the ground isn't at fault for the crane turn over. Operator error is playing a major role in the settup of this crane note the counter weights or should I say lack of. If you look at the pictures taken at the scene in Oklahoma City it’s obvious the ground isn’t at fault for the crane turn over. Operator error is playing a major role in the settup of this crane note the counter weights or should I say lack of.

]]> By: Steve Sparrow http://www.jimadler.com/newsandviews/2008/07/another-construction-crane-kills-with-no-end-in-sight/comment-page-1/#comment-33 Steve Sparrow Fri, 25 Jul 2008 20:34:20 +0000 http://www.jimadler.com/newsandviews/?p=73#comment-33 It will emerge in the next few days that the accident in Houston was caused by human error, and the sad death of the gentleman in Oklahoma was likely caused by poor ground conditions. That incident also highlights that you don't have to be under the load to get hurt. That man should not have been able to get into a position where he could be hurt by a crane falling. Accidents are always caused, they don't just happen. The two tower crane accidents in New York City were caused by poor rigging practices, and poor maintenance respectively. Anything short of a lightening bolt or earthquake is avoidable and preventable. I review lift plans submitted by contractors, and the level of knowledge in the crane and rigging industry is typically poor. There is a lot of "rule of thumb" work going out out there, and I'm sure plenty of accidents nearly happen without the personnel ever knowing about it. I even read a court transcript a while ago where the "expert" witness made an erroneous statement regarding a basic and fundamental aspect of lift planning. Nobody noticed. Training always helps, but the training standards are rudimentary at best, and do little to educate the riggers and operators in the theory behind what they do. Most are ill informed, and often misled by site folklore and old wives tales. That leads to either overly conservative or dangerously risky behaviour, neither of which is good for the industry. The crane rental market is booming at the present time, and good operators and equipment are hard to find. As this continues, we are likely to see personnel and equipment being used that a few years ago would have been "left in the dugout" Just for the record, the large crane that collapsed in Houston last week is capable of lifting 5 million pounds. It was the largest crane in the USA of its type. It will emerge in the next few days that the accident in Houston was caused by human error, and the sad death of the gentleman in Oklahoma was likely caused by poor ground conditions. That incident also highlights that you don’t have to be under the load to get hurt. That man should not have been able to get into a position where he could be hurt by a crane falling.

Accidents are always caused, they don’t just happen. The two tower crane accidents in New York City were caused by poor rigging practices, and poor maintenance respectively.
Anything short of a lightening bolt or earthquake is avoidable and preventable.

I review lift plans submitted by contractors, and the level of knowledge in the crane and rigging industry is typically poor. There is a lot of “rule of thumb” work going out out there, and I’m sure plenty of accidents nearly happen without the personnel ever knowing about it. I even read a court transcript a while ago where the “expert” witness made an erroneous statement regarding a basic and fundamental aspect of lift planning. Nobody noticed.

Training always helps, but the training standards are rudimentary at best, and do little to educate the riggers and operators in the theory behind what they do. Most are ill informed, and often misled by site folklore and old wives tales. That leads to either overly conservative or dangerously risky behaviour, neither of which is good for the industry.

The crane rental market is booming at the present time, and good operators and equipment are hard to find. As this continues, we are likely to see personnel and equipment being used that a few years ago would have been “left in the dugout”

Just for the record, the large crane that collapsed in Houston last week is capable of lifting 5 million pounds. It was the largest crane in the USA of its type.

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