12.10.2013

Lucky escape for crane operator

A crane operator was lucky to escape unhurt on Thursday when his crane boom struck a 110,000 volt overhead power line.

The 200 tonne crane was working on a wind farm in Bad Wunnenberg near Paderborn, in North Rhine Westphalia. The operator was moving the five axle crane with its boom retracted but raised. The crane boom struck the two lines and stuck, the crane’s tyres caught fire and the operator managed to jump clear from his cab and miraculously not hurt.
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The crane's tyres caught fire immediately

It is understood that the power was cut shortly after the impact and this might have saved the operators life when he jumped? The usual advice to stay in the cab, would have had its own risks in this case as the fire took hold and local reports says that the fire fighters decided to let it burn out.
Power was cut to around 100,000 homes and business premises.

Vertikal Comment

Once again an overhead electrical incident, thankfully without fatalities this time. Surely these power lines were clearly visible? It’s hard to imagine what the operator was thinking.