03.08.2011

Crawler goes over in Virginia

A lattice crawler crane rigged with around 60 metres of boom flipped over yesterday in Stafford, Virginia. The boom came down onto the structure under construction, a new office building at the Quantico Corporate Center.
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The crane, owned and operated by Citadel Contractors of Apex, North Carolina, a tilt-up concrete panel specialist with a good safety record, looks like a larger Link Belt. The general contractor for the project is DLR Contracting of Fredericksburg.
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A closer view of the crane

The crane was working from what looks like a timber platform, it had its boom fully elevated when it slewed so that the counterweight was over the end of one track. The shift of weight towards one corner of the crane’s base seems to have caused the platform to give way under the track, causing it to tilt backwards with the boom going over the back and crashing into the building.
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The ground/platform gave way at the back

Thankfully no one was injured in the incident and local reports say the operator was able to walk away unhurt.
Federal Occupational Health and Safety Administration (OSHA) inspectors are expected to arrive to carry out an investigation into what happened.