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26.01.2014

Another jib failure in London

Another Jost tower crane jib collapsed yesterday on a building under construction in Croydon, London during a storm.

The crane is working on a new tower block known as the IYLO building. The 20 storey building has stood unfinished for some time and is planned to provide low cost homes.
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The scene the following morning


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The damage to the building was relatively light


Thankfully no one was hurt in the incident although 15 ambulances and a helicopter are said to have descended on the scene. The crane is a Jost JTL 158, owned by Falcon. It looks as though the jib in its out of service position did not fully ‘weathervane’ resulting in strong side loadings that parted the jib’s two lower chords.
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The end of the jib was left dangling precariously over the edge of the building


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The crane was apparently equipped with a 50 metre jib


This is the third incident in around three months with a Jost crane in London, and yesterday’s incident looks very similar to a crane that failed in Croydon in October - see: Two tower crane jibs collapse in London.
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It also looks as though a the crane may have failed to 'weathervane' properly?


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The jib gave way close to the base section


Another one suffered a similar incident back in 2011 when a crane jib failed on a site in Saffron Walden near Stanstead airport - see: Crane jib collapse. The Health & Safety Executive announced an investigation into that incident and we understand no report has yet been issued on its cause.

UPDATE
The manufacturer has claimed that all cranes had their slew brakes locked and were not free to slew, while this might be the case on one or two of them, we do know that it was not the case in at least one of the failures.

Comments

Sascha Mandl
Just saying..

http://www.hse.gov.uk/safetybulletins/luffing-jib-tower-cranes.htm?ebul=hsegen&cr=1/24-feb-14

Feb 24, 2014

Sascha Mandl
http://www.khl.com/magazines/international-cranes-and-specialized-transport/detail/item92124/Jost-to-report-on-JTL-158-jib-failures

Feb 5, 2014

Sascha Mandl
Falcon.. really?

how much more accidents have to occur before they shut down this company? Over the past few years several accidents happened, some of them causing fatalities. And every time the owner gets away with it!

I have been a crane operator myself and have rejected to work for this company when asked a few years back..

Jan 29, 2014

Michael Brown
The crane is apparently owned by Falcon Crane hire. London Tower Cranes Have been busy Replacing the jib bolts on all there 158's as a precautionary measure since the incident.

Jan 28, 2014

bruce h
Yes Tristam Mayes it was an American operator

Jan 28, 2014

Sascha Mandl
Looking at the damaged jib it is absolutely clear to me that the crane did not slew in the wind because of a locked slewing brake. Pictures resemble the ones from previous accidents.

Same thing happened at both Jost JTL incidents last year. Slewing brake locked. GET THE CRANE OPERATORS TRAINED PROPERLY!!!

@Tristam Mayes: check http://www.vertikal.net/en/news/story/19290
.. so Liebherr cranes are meccano sets also?

Jan 27, 2014

Michael Brown
I'm currently operating a Jost 158 With a 50m jib The "No Park Position" Light doesn't come on until within 20 meters radius this To me seems & feels Insufficent as in higher winds the tower rocking before the upper works slew with the wind I am lucky with over sailing on this site & leave her out of service at 25 metres where she Slews far more easily.

Jan 27, 2014

Tmayes
Sadly we will have to wait for somebody to be killed by one of these horrible meccano sets before something gets done about them.

Jan 26, 2014

These failures are all too common these days. When I saw the headline and before I looked at the photo or read the article I thought to myself "I bet it's a Jost" I was sadly dissapointed to find that I was right. One jib failure is maybe unlucky, two is worrying, 3 is alarming. ... but 4? Something is wrong here surely ?

Jan 26, 2014