The global mining company Anglo American has published a video with the full details of a serious crane incident at its Grosvenor mine in Queensland’s Bowen Basin last December.
In the incident, a 40 tonne Franna pick & carry crane overturned while travelling with a 20 tonne track from the LR 1280 crawler crane it was helping set up. The Franna 40 can normally manage this sort of load at a radius of just over three metres.
However, as it turned to go around the front of the crawler crane, the load swung well out of radius, while at the same time inflicting a huge side loading on the boom. As a result, it overturned. Thankfully, no one was hurt in the incident, although it narrowly missed a spotter/slinger signaller/banksman who managed to run clear of the crane’s boom. Damage was also light – apart from to the crane itself. The incident occurred around 9:30 on the 10th of December 2024.
The company stated that its investigation highlighted a “series of critical failures” in safety protocols. These included overriding the overload indicator and warnings, as well as changes made on site to the risk assessed lifts, which were re-classified as ‘routine’ instead of ‘critical’ despite significant changes in risk and terrain. Since the incident, the company has implemented real time alerts for override events and developed a log viewer to support accurate event interpretation and review.
In order to spread the message of what can go wrong when protocols are not adhered to Anglo American has created and published a detailed animation of the incident, highlighting what went wrong. At the same time, it hopes that by making it public and sharing lessons learned, it will encourage safer decision making across the industry.
Grosvenor Mine general manager Shane McDowall said: “This wasn’t just one poor decision but rather a series of critical failures. By showing the chain of decisions that led to the rollover, we’re helping people understand how small shortcuts and missed steps can build into something potentially catastrophic.”
“We’ve taken a hard look at every contributing factor — not to assign blame, but to ensure we embed the right behaviours, controls and conversations before a lift even begins. Our goal is for this video to be used by other operators, contractors and companies to spark honest discussions about safety. These lessons don’t just belong to us, they belong to everyone who works in this industry.”
“Everyone deserves to go home safely, and that’s why we are being open about what went wrong. This incident was preventable, and we want others to learn from it. The most important thing to come out of the mine is the miner.”
Franna AT40 cranes are now equipped with a safety radar to dynamically map safe working zones in real time, allowing operators to instantly see how boom extension, articulation and terrain will affect capacity.
Thank you for your series of questions this past 10 days regarding
19yrs of Research into Crane Safety matters Worldwide. All of
which I will answer to the best of my ability.
a. 173 Crane and Lifting Incidents during 2025.
Means 1x incident every 2.12 days.
b. Compared with past performance over 19yrs 2007 to 2025.
c. 1801 x Lifting Incidents in 6935 days over 19yrs.
(Leap years excluded)
Means 1 x incident every 3.85 days.
d. So the net effect is a 45% Improvement over 19 years from 2007 to 2025.
This is a dramatic enhancement of Crane Safety performance worldwide.
For which all Directors, Managers, Foremen, Appointed Persons
and Crane Operators worldwide are to be congratulated and rewarded.
e. Where Crane Safety is concerned in the UK….
The Employer is the Duty Holder in Law, NOT the Employee.
The Health & Safety at Work etc Act 1974 is the Primary Law.
The Lifting Ops and Lifting Equipment Regs 1998 is the Secondary Law.
Compliance with both is a Statutory obligation for all Employers.
f. Over the past 19 years…..
Mobile Cranes x 712 have been involved in Incidents.
Tower Cranes x 358 have been involved in Incidents.
Crawler Cranes x 256 have been involved in Incidents.
e. Improvised Lifting Operations continues to be the biggest
single cause of Lifting Incidents leading all too frequently
to Fatalities due to lack of the Six P's or RAMS or documented Plans.
Over 19 yrs this has involved a variety of machines inc but
not limited to AWP Booms, Excavators, Lorry Loaders,
Scissors, Spider Cranes & Telehandlers, some of which are now
Fitted with Hoist Winches.
f. Dallas Court Judgment arising from a Fatal Tower Crane P.I. claim
led to $860 million USD damages awarded to the parents of Kirsten Smith
after the Defendants Tower Crane collapsed on Kirstens flat in Elan Lights
building in Dallas. The Court found the Construction and Crane companies to be jointly and severally Liable for this fatal incident on Sunday 9th June 2019.
Crane Safety will benefit all employees and members of the public in 2026.
Therefore after 19yrs research, this is the year end report for 31st Dec 2025.
a. Worldwide 173 x Lifting Incidents reported in 2025.
b. All of which involved 31 x Fatalities during 2025.
c. Worst month with 5 x Incidents & 6 dead was Oct 2025
Of particular note are the following……
a. The overturned Franna Crane depicted above is the 14th Incident involving a
Pivot Steer machine of this type in the past 19yrs. With Australian Coroner John
Hutton reporting that a Franna Crane went into a ‘Death Wobble’ before a fatal
collision with a car involving a Mother and Child on Wed 11th Oct 2017.
b. Manitowoc 4100 Crawler dropped its boom in Everett USA for undisclosed reasons. Was this caused by a Rusty Pendant Rope failing or Defective Derricking Rope or the final drive to Winch Assy, we are unlikely to know. But yet another 2 x good men lost their lives on Fri 241025. RIP Brothers.
c. AWP Boomlift fully extended horizontally over 2 x Railway Tracks
at night, then struck by an Overnight Rail-Head Milling Train to kill
the Platform Operator in a Fall from Height in China on 240925.
d. Tower Cranes increasingly affected by Hi-Winds and Storms
with 3 x Wrecked on the same site in Paris to kill 1 man on 221025.
e. Family of 4 stranded 45m Up (147 feet in USA) by failed
Hydraulic Telescopic Crane during potentially fatal Dinner-in-Sky incident.
With all 4 x rescued by the Hero's of the Fire Service, 291125.
f. Truck mounted Concrete Pump with a Raised and Extended Hydraulic Boom dropped a Component to Kill a 15yr Apprentice on-site in Australia on Tue 021225
g. Total of 1797 x Lifting incidents reported worldwide in past 19 years including
h. Cranes x 29 Overturned with NO Ballast fitted (None) to rear of crane.
i. Lifting Incidents x 427 in a Public St or Place where Public have access too.
j. Misuse of Crane Over-Ride Keys continues to be a Major Liability for Employers.
Therefore please start a Directors Safety Training programme ASAP, because if the CEO is not committed to Safety, no-one else will be ?
o
Good Morning Friends,
Thank you for your series of questions this past 10 days regarding
19yrs of Research into Crane Safety matters Worldwide. All of
which I will answer to the best of my ability.
a. 173 Crane and Lifting Incidents during 2025.
Means 1x incident every 2.12 days.
b. Compared with past performance over 19yrs 2007 to 2025.
c. 1801 x Lifting Incidents in 6935 days over 19yrs.
(Leap years excluded)
Means 1 x incident every 3.85 days.
d. So the net effect is a 45% Improvement over 19 years from 2007 to 2025.
This is a dramatic enhancement of Crane Safety performance worldwide.
For which all Directors, Managers, Foremen, Appointed Persons
and Crane Operators worldwide are to be congratulated and rewarded.
e. Where Crane Safety is concerned in the UK….
The Employer is the Duty Holder in Law, NOT the Employee.
The Health & Safety at Work etc Act 1974 is the Primary Law.
The Lifting Ops and Lifting Equipment Regs 1998 is the Secondary Law.
Compliance with both is a Statutory obligation for all Employers.
f. Over the past 19 years…..
Mobile Cranes x 712 have been involved in Incidents.
Tower Cranes x 358 have been involved in Incidents.
Crawler Cranes x 256 have been involved in Incidents.
e. Improvised Lifting Operations continues to be the biggest
single cause of Lifting Incidents leading all too frequently
to Fatalities due to lack of the Six P's or RAMS or documented Plans.
Over 19 yrs this has involved a variety of machines inc but
not limited to AWP Booms, Excavators, Lorry Loaders,
Scissors, Spider Cranes & Telehandlers, some of which are now
Fitted with Hoist Winches.
f. Dallas Court Judgment arising from a Fatal Tower Crane P.I. claim
led to $860 million USD damages awarded to the parents of Kirsten Smith
after the Defendants Tower Crane collapsed on Kirstens flat in Elan Lights
building in Dallas. The Court found the Construction and Crane companies to be jointly and severally Liable for this fatal incident on Sunday 9th June 2019.
Kind Regards
Mike Ponsonby
Safety Trainer.
o
Good Morning Editor,
Significant Findings Report for 2025.
Crane Safety will benefit all employees and members of the public in 2026.
Therefore after 19yrs research, this is the year end report for 31st Dec 2025.
a. Worldwide 173 x Lifting Incidents reported in 2025.
b. All of which involved 31 x Fatalities during 2025.
c. Worst month with 5 x Incidents & 6 dead was Oct 2025
Of particular note are the following……
a. The overturned Franna Crane depicted above is the 14th Incident involving a
Pivot Steer machine of this type in the past 19yrs. With Australian Coroner John
Hutton reporting that a Franna Crane went into a ‘Death Wobble’ before a fatal
collision with a car involving a Mother and Child on Wed 11th Oct 2017.
b. Manitowoc 4100 Crawler dropped its boom in Everett USA for undisclosed reasons. Was this caused by a Rusty Pendant Rope failing or Defective Derricking Rope or the final drive to Winch Assy, we are unlikely to know. But yet another 2 x good men lost their lives on Fri 241025. RIP Brothers.
c. AWP Boomlift fully extended horizontally over 2 x Railway Tracks
at night, then struck by an Overnight Rail-Head Milling Train to kill
the Platform Operator in a Fall from Height in China on 240925.
d. Tower Cranes increasingly affected by Hi-Winds and Storms
with 3 x Wrecked on the same site in Paris to kill 1 man on 221025.
e. Family of 4 stranded 45m Up (147 feet in USA) by failed
Hydraulic Telescopic Crane during potentially fatal Dinner-in-Sky incident.
With all 4 x rescued by the Hero's of the Fire Service, 291125.
f. Truck mounted Concrete Pump with a Raised and Extended Hydraulic Boom dropped a Component to Kill a 15yr Apprentice on-site in Australia on Tue 021225
g. Total of 1797 x Lifting incidents reported worldwide in past 19 years including
h. Cranes x 29 Overturned with NO Ballast fitted (None) to rear of crane.
i. Lifting Incidents x 427 in a Public St or Place where Public have access too.
j. Misuse of Crane Over-Ride Keys continues to be a Major Liability for Employers.
Therefore please start a Directors Safety Training programme ASAP, because if the CEO is not committed to Safety, no-one else will be ?
Kind Regards
Mike J. Ponsonby
Safety Trainer.
Herrman976
But isn't the crawler fit for self mounting by lifting its own tracks in place?