23.07.2013

Fine for lack of maintenance

The government of Alderney in the Channel Islands - between the UK and France - has been fined £20,000 after a crawler crane boom came down at Braye Harbour last August.

The boom on the 70 tonne Kobelco dropped while loading a container onto a supply ship, due to the failure of the 10 year old boom hoist cable, which showed no signs of maintenance and which had already been condemned by the manufacturer.
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A Rough Terrain crane raises the Kobelco boom

An inspection report by Kobelco Cranes Europe five months prior to the incident clearly stated that the crane was "unsafe and that using it could result in a fatal accident". The Island decided to replace the crane and put it out to tender, while continuing to use the condemned one.
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The frayed boom hoist cable

Judge Russell Finch of the Royal Court sitting in Guernsey said: "The court finds a disturbing level of slackness, which is hard to understand of any authority. This accident should not have happened. The state of this crane was very poor."

He then fined the island’s government a total of £20,000, for “a ‘substantial failure’ to comply with basic health and safety duties.”

Following the incident the harbour rented a 70 tonne crawler crane in from UK rental company AGD, while it waited for a new one to arrive. The permanent replacement crane should arrive in the next week or so.