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11.12.2015
A miraculous escape
Two men survived a high speed collision with the counterweight from a foundation crane in Singapore on Wednesday
The incident, captured on a dash mounted camera, shows the crane mast catching up on the branches of a tree causing the superstructure to rapidly slew through 90 degrees throwing its counterweight off directly into the cab of the oncoming truck.
The passenger, 60, simply climbed out through the broken windscreen, while the driver,29, had to be cut free by the emergency services. The two men complained of chest pains and the driver had a head injury. Both were taken to hospital, where they were said to be conscious and in stable condition.
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Video has come in showing Wednesday's accident on Tampines Road. It shows a piling machine catch on some trees, causing...
Thankfully it looks as though these two men have been very lucky indeed. The driver with the crane on board was taking it back to depot, and said that he had driven down the road many times without a problem. However it did look as though the crane superstructure slew was not properly locked? And the superstructure probably not have been tied down.
Hopefully it will serve as a reminder for any drivers who regularly deliver equipment such as cranes and boom lifts etc that have slewing superstructures. A free slewing load is one of the most dangerous things on the road and incidents usually end fatally for oncoming traffic.
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The smashed truck is recovered with a loader crane
Thank you for your kind words, it was nice of you to write.
HSE will confirm that 142 Men and Women were Killed at Work in UK during 2014 and if my Crane Safety work saves just one life, it will all be worthwhile.
Crane expert
Many thanks for this information Mr Ponsonbury but I'm sure 99.9% of us in the industry have already figured this out the 00.1% was involved in loading this piling rig.
Have you ever thought of going on master mind and having your specialist subject as stating the bleeding obvious??
Thank you for publishing this video clip from Singapore of a Piling Rig involuntarily slewing on a Trailer to crash the Ballast Block into the Cab of an oncoming vehicle. Miraculously the Two Men in the other truck survived this violent assault by a Large Piling Rig, but only by the Grace of God.
Therefore in order that I can learn from this Incident, it required some further research. To that end, all Professional Machine Operators will confirm that…
1. Modern Bored Piling Rig are fitted with a Slewing Brakes of a Hydraulic or Hydro-Mechanical design, in order to hold the Mast vertical in variable positions to apply rotary force to the Kelly Bar and the Auger itself .
2. Therefore if this 360 degree Machine Slewed involuntary on that Trailer, the indication is that the Slewing Brake was not applied correctly, or worse still was Defective. We may never know which ?
3. However to CYA, I should always chain down the Machine in the Conventional Manner, then Apply Two Chains in a Large X to either the Mast in front, or preferably the Ballast Block at Rear.
The benefit of which is that the Piling Rig is then chained down by a 'Safe System of Work’ (SSoW is Common Law obligation in UK) and in such a way that it cannot move on the Trailer. (Even if it does come into Contact with Trees on nearside of Road) .
That way No-one gets Killed and everyone gets to go home in one piece. Moreover additional Chains applied to the Ballast Block in a large X also complies with section 40/a of The Road Traffic Act 1988 in UK.
The Driving Stds Agency (DSA) recent publication entitled ‘National Standards for Category C Trucks in 2016’ will also cover this very subject of Load Security within the relevant legislative framework.
Worker Safety is my Core Value, please make it the same in all workplaces.
Good Morning Mr Crane Nan,
Thank you for your kind words, it was nice of you to write.
HSE will confirm that 142 Men and Women were Killed at Work in UK during 2014 and if my Crane Safety work saves just one life, it will all be worthwhile.
Why, because Worker Safety is very Important.
Kind Regards
Mike Ponsonby
Crane expert
I wonder how much of this Mr Ponsbury understands himself? Seems like a lot of cut and paste to me.
Crane expert
Many thanks for this information Mr Ponsonbury but I'm sure 99.9% of us in the industry have already figured this out the 00.1% was involved in loading this piling rig.
Have you ever thought of going on master mind and having your specialist subject as stating the bleeding obvious??
Good Evening Mr Editor,
Thank you for publishing this video clip from Singapore of a Piling Rig involuntarily slewing on a Trailer to crash the Ballast Block into the Cab of an oncoming vehicle. Miraculously the Two Men in the other truck survived this violent assault by a Large Piling Rig, but only by the Grace of God.
Therefore in order that I can learn from this Incident, it required some further research. To that end, all Professional Machine Operators will confirm that…
1. Modern Bored Piling Rig are fitted with a Slewing Brakes of a Hydraulic or Hydro-Mechanical design, in order to hold the Mast vertical in variable positions to apply rotary force to the Kelly Bar and the Auger itself .
2. Therefore if this 360 degree Machine Slewed involuntary on that Trailer, the indication is that the Slewing Brake was not applied correctly, or worse still was Defective. We may never know which ?
3. However to CYA, I should always chain down the Machine in the Conventional Manner, then Apply Two Chains in a Large X to either the Mast in front, or preferably the Ballast Block at Rear.
The benefit of which is that the Piling Rig is then chained down by a 'Safe System of Work’ (SSoW is Common Law obligation in UK) and in such a way that it cannot move on the Trailer. (Even if it does come into Contact with Trees on nearside of Road) .
That way No-one gets Killed and everyone gets to go home in one piece. Moreover additional Chains applied to the Ballast Block in a large X also complies with section 40/a of The Road Traffic Act 1988 in UK.
The Driving Stds Agency (DSA) recent publication entitled ‘National Standards for Category C Trucks in 2016’ will also cover this very subject of Load Security within the relevant legislative framework.
Worker Safety is my Core Value, please make it the same in all workplaces.
Kind Regards
Mike Ponsonby