28.10.2017
Tree takes crane
A crane overturned near Newark, New Jersey yesterday while lifting a tree segment.
The large National Crane, mounted on a three axle flatbed chassis, was set up on the drive of a house in West Orange, and was removing the tree in segments from the back yard. It seems - as is often the case with tree removal - that those doing the cutting took a section that was too heavy for the crane. The situation may have been exasperated by an outrigger set up issue?
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It appears as though their might have been an issue with one of the front outriggers
The crane went over sideways, suggesting that the outrigger on that side may have sunk into the ground or collapsed. The operator was trapped in his cab, and was freed after around a half hour. He suffered a broken leg and bad cuts on his back.
As the crane boom came down it pulled down overhead power lines, cutting electricity to the local area and damaging a pole, and also clipped the roof of the house. No one else was hurt in the incident.
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Another angle
Maybe a solution to this is to issue a separate load chart for tree felling work, one that can take account of the impulsive tensions caused by the falling of heavy loads suddenly being caught be the crane as they start to fall from the cut tree.
Maybe by overcompensating for this on the load charts, operators will take a more pragmatic view of the sort of loads a crane can take in this application.
I know American load charts are much closer to the actual physical capabilities of the crane than European ones are.. maybe they need to be a lot more conservative here ?
Red
Giving a crane to a tree trimmer is akin to playing Russian Roulette. Sooner or later.....KaBoom !
Crane lads
Here we go again. But this time right next to power lines glad the opraters is ok. Its about time the American health and safety started to chuck the book at them before innocent people are killed.