24.04.2012

Crane overturns in Missouri

Two men were injured last week when a Rough Terrain crane went over on a hospital job in Creve Coeur, St Louis, Missouri.

Local reports claim that the operator was preparing to move the crane, which was working on a new cooling plant upgrade at the hospital, when it went over. Photographs show that the outrigger jacks had already been retracted and just one beam was left extended.
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The crane went over as the outriggers were retracted

Yet the boom on the 75 ton unit was fully elevated and retracted, tending it make the unit back heavy, especially when slewed over the side as was the case in this incident. The combination along with what appears to be a slope and perhaps some dynamic loading- must have been sufficient to cause the overturn?

The two men are employed by the crane’s owner McCarthy Building which is looking into what might have caused the incident. The two men are not thought to have serious injuries.
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All of the jacks were retracted