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13.09.2012

Another tree another crane flip

This week saw another crane overturn while attempting to lift tree parts from the rear of a private home.

This time it was in Mount Vernon, Illinois in the USA, the crane, owned by Schomaker Crane Service of Nashville, Illinois, was assisting Davis Tree service in the removal of a 30 metre high ash tree. The team cut through a section of the tree and the crane began to lift, only to teeter on its outriggers and then as the tree section swung out to a greater radius over the crane went.
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The overturned crane


The crane itself, a three axle Link Belt, was well set up with outriggers full set on a decent set of mats and a full counterweight in place. The tree parts were simply too heavy for the boom length and radius.

The tree and the crane’s boom landed on the roof of the house causing significant damage, and it all brought down some overhead power lines, which thankfully had been de-energised during the lift. No one was injured of hurt in the incident.

Vertikal Comment

We have flogged this subject to death over the past few months, yet it keeps on happening. Trees are heavier than people think and unpredictable why oh why do crane owners not get that message!

Either send a much bigger crane than needed or insist and make sure that the tree service employees remove it in smaller pieces, if not you are better leaving this type of work to others.

Comments

Watty
Totally incorrect Dave the crane, the difference is that the responsibility is on the crane operator to carry out the risk assesment prior to the lift and this is a recordable document. CPA Crane hire is called taxi crane and is basically the same without the crane company being able to hide behind the CPA and using the hirer is responsible card. The crane hire company is insuring the lift therefore they are not hiding behind other things. I think more knowledge may be required from the people on this website

Sep 18, 2012

davethecrane davethecrane
I believe a 50ton truck crane ALWAYS has 2 axles under the cab. As far as I can tell, that is a 25tonner, David. There is, as far as I am aware, no CPA/Contract lift hire system in the States. The only time a lift plan/berthing study/risk assessment is supposed to be done is for "critical lifts" (75% of crane capacity, blind lifts, etc). Their equivalent to CPA hire is send the driver + crane, and hope for the best. No paperwork, no qualified banksmen/slingers on site, no ground appreciation, no nothing. It's all down to the operator on site.

Sep 18, 2012

david pacitti
I would think this crane is around 50t, and from what I can see from the picture it has a lot of it's boom out. It's hard to tell from the pic but I would say the lift radius would be around 20 metre's or so, and crane capacity around 4 tons. Did they just try to lift the tree in one go? or sling the top and just cut it where they could reach?

Sep 16, 2012

vertikal editor
This is time to stop, tree accidents happen all over the world, the UK included and are closely followed by hot tub lifts.

Can we calm down and move on please

Sep 16, 2012

Watty
Don't get road rage

Sep 16, 2012

Tmayes
Your starting to go off subject really aint you?? This aint about uk crane hire, this is about why American crane hire wont put a stop to this bad practice of tree work with cranes cos its clearly unsafe and not managed well.

Sep 16, 2012

Savage
Seems to be alot of accidents over there..maybe it's because it's so big nobody will notice....I wonder if it was a contract lift that the risk factor could of been taken into account...seems people over there just turn up with a crane and thatl do attitude

Sep 16, 2012

Watty
It's that opinion that is wrong with the UK crane industry of course it matters. Why do these people think its ok to avoid fines etc from the HSE surely the reason they are being fined is because the did something wrong !! Therefore they are guilty of being involved in the events that lead to the killing of someone otherwise they wouldn't get fined. Your industry has being getting away with hiding behind the CPA and the CPCS for years and it's about time the dinosaur that is crane hire got in the 21st century

Sep 16, 2012

Tmayes
Yes its not a very good way of doing buisness and lets hope they will change there ways, but going bankrupt or changing companies names never killed anybody or put lives at risk.

Sep 16, 2012

Watty
Yes I agree but racism isn't just linked to black and white it's linked to countries as well. Maybe if people stopped commenting on things in countries they no nothing about Does this person really know what happened I bet not. As most of the comments on this website by people who think they know from 5000 miles away. Get a life and start worrying about their companies not everyone elses

Sep 16, 2012

vertikal editor
OK come on this is getting silly can we raise the level before it degenerates into something really ugly?
Ed

Sep 16, 2012

Watty
Yes I agree English crane companies learn from their mistakes. They learn to go bust and change their name to avoid the fines and prosecutions. Crane hire companies in the UK are run by Arthur Daleys who think they are rupert Murdoch

Sep 16, 2012

Tmayes
Yes we have had a few accidents but America have LOTS, and most involve This type with tree Vs crane, at least we learn from our mistakes.

Sep 16, 2012

Watty
Yes maybe they should and possibly while they are at it the crane hire companies in England could join in because they never have cranes that go over, or send drivers out who are not trained. The English crane hire industry has very short memories in regard to safety

Sep 16, 2012

Tmayes
The Americans shouldnt be allowed near cranes till they learn how to use them.

Sep 16, 2012

Maybe gravity works differently in America, everything is bigger over there !

Sep 14, 2012