12.08.2012

Crawler overturns in NZ

A 55-tonne crawler crane working on a barge in Milford Sound overturned last week after the barge shifted and listed to one side.

The boom of the Kobelco SK7055 caught up on a pile saving it from going into the water which is around four metres deep.

The crane, owned by Smith Crane & Construction, was working in a harbour redevelopment project. The operator escaped from his cab uninjured and no other injuries were reported.
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The salvage job begins

Smiths, which has a location in Queenstown, brought in a Grove GMK5100 to recover the crane over the weekend. The department of Labour and Maritime New Zealand are moth investigating the incident.

UPDATE
The subsequent investigation found that the crane was lifting 13.3 tonnes when it overturned. Its maximum capacity was just 6.9 tonnes.

Smith Crane and Construction managing director Tim Smith said: "the accident was down to operator error. The driver was an experienced man with 40 years on the job, and it was a lesson for him to not be complacent, It was unfortunate but the job went extremely well, really."