27.01.2016
Fatal crane overturn
A lattice boom truck crane overturned yesterday in American Fork, Utah, resulting in the death of a banksman.
The incident occurred on a construction site in the town which is due south of Salt Lake City, when the crane, a 200 tonne Manitowoc 777T owned by Mountain Crane Service, was lifting a concrete panel on a tilt up job. The crane lost stability and overturned with the concrete panel striking another panel which fell onto the deceased.
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The outrigger base seems to be fine
The man was declared dead at the scene. The outriggers were properly set and it is clear that the incident was not due to any failure in the ground, which then suggests it was a simple overload situation. The operator was - we understand - unhurt.
OSHA is investigating the incident.
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The boom was badly buckled
Warren Howard
Very sad, been involved in several tilt up builds, the argument for tilt up is that is lowers the risk of work at height (the panels we know are formed, tied and poured at ground level) take away scaffolding, work at height access etc then the long term risk is low, but as seen here the short term risk during the tilt up/placing of the panels is high and if not properly managed can quickly go tragically wrong.
Warren Howard
Very sad, been involved in several tilt up builds, the argument for tilt up is that is lowers the risk of work at height (the panels we know are formed, tied and poured at ground level) take away scaffolding, work at height access etc then the long term risk is low, but as seen here the short term risk during the tilt up/placing of the panels is high and if not properly managed can quickly go tragically wrong.
Old Sweat Old Sweat
Very sad RIP.
Good Morning Mr Editor,
Thank you for publishing these Reports.
January 2016 is now closed and with it yet another Eleven (11) Crane Incidents worldwide leading to Six (6) Fatalities in one month. All of which is recorded as part of an 8yr record of Crane Incidents, with 232 Fatal Incidents involving Cranes or Lifting Operations since the 1st of January 2014. Details recorded during January 2016 were as follows…..
a. Cranes Involved were One Truck Mounted Crane, Two Tower Cranes and Three Crawler Cranes.
b. Plus Three Dropped Loads and/or Jib.
c. Plus Fatal Fall from Height and/or Fatal Burns due to contact with Overhead Power Lines.
Please let no-one describe these Fatal Incidents as ‘Accidents’, because an ‘Accident’ is only an ‘Accident’ if it is Not-Foreseeable ( Like Lightning) :
However if is Foreseeable, then the employer will be denied this Defence, with all UK Prosecution Barristers citing the Court of Appeal decision of Hughes LJ in the failed appeal case reported as Tangerine Conf & Veolia ES. v. R. [2011] EWCA 2015 : A perfect example of this Precedent decision of CA being followed was the £900k Fine imposed by Preston Crown Court on Baldwins Crane Hire Ltd ( on 22/12/15). This was for the Fatal Incident involving Lindsay Easton (d) due to defective Brakes on 9 out of 16 crane wheels, with the Transmission Retarder also being disabled on Baldwins 500t Mobile.
Doubting Thomas's all too frequently accuse me of ‘Hindsight’ which is not true, as I simply hold a mirror up to the Crane Industry and report the reflected image. What is true is the lack of ‘Foresight' with many CEO’s and MD’s not asking the question “ What If” and in doing so then leave themselves and their companies exposed to enormous Fines and the possibility of section 37 offences. A VG example of this being the CEO of a £100 million PA company who told me disdainfully to my face that “Health and Safety was a Load of Bollocks”.
Leeds Crown Court would not agree…. and imposed a £2 million fine upon National Grid plc on Tuesday 8th December 2015 for yet another Fatal Incident.
Vertikal readers are encouraged to investigate the name of the Chief Executive and four Snr Managers, who consistently vote down any discussion of Crane Safety matters below ?
Worker Safety is my Core Value, please make it the same in all Workplaces.
Kind Regards
Mike Ponsonby
I wonder why this method of building, setting huge concrete panels up and only propping them on one side is used so much in America, I guess it's quick, but it doesn't seem to be the safest way of doing things.
My sympathies to the deceased and his family.