09.02.2015
Cranes drop stack
An incident occurred at the Blaydin Point natural gas processing plant near Darwin, Northern Territory, Australia, last week while two cranes were installing a large exhaust stack in a tandem lift.
Information is scarce, following a security clamp-down at the site, which is part of the massive Ichthys project. However we understand that something went wrong with the rigging on the 40 metre stack, allowing it to fall as it was being lifted from the horizontal the vertical.
Fortunately the lift planners had implemented a full exclusion zone in the area below and no one was hurt in the incident. Although obviously the stack and anything it fell on will have been damaged.
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A photograph taken shortly after the incident occured
Northern Territory WorkSafe has launched an investigation in to the incident, while the contractor - Japan based Inpex - which has put a very severe clamp down on information and photography, has suspended all large lifts on the site.
We understand that in a letter to employees it said: “During repositioning of a heating stack the load become detached from the rigging assembly at the top lifting points resulting in damage as it fell to ground within the exclusion zone”. It also said the incident occurred early on in the lift cycle, however some reports from the site suggest that the incident occurred much further along in the move from horizontal to vertical.
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A closer look
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FAO Mr Toshiaki Kitamura CEO
Inpex Corporation
Tokyo
Japan. 107-6332
Dear Mr Kitamura,
Re Dropped Column on CNG Plant, Darwin, Australia.
FYI only, 28 Men and Women were Killed in 16 Seperate Crane and Lifting Incidents in the West during 2014. So any desire to avoid any Corporate embarrassment is understandable but misguided, as there is No PLACE for SECRECY where Crane Safety is involved.
Therefore please instruct your staff to lift any veil of Secrecy, then investigate the Root Cause of this Dropped Load Incident, then publish this Report to the entire world, as we need to know the 5xW's to avoid any repetition of this potentially Fatal Dropped Load.
Why...Because Crane Safety affects all of us and in equal Measures too.
Australian Prime Minister Tony Abbott should also be monitoring this situation very closely and be prepared to intervene, as this veil of Secrecy should be Ripped Aside in the cause of Crane Safety.
Worker Safety is my Core Value, please make it a core value of the Inpex Corporation.
Kind Regards
Mike Ponsonby BA