16.02.2016

Fatal load drop

A man died yesterday on a building site in Weybridge, Surrey in the UK when a load of steel reinforcing panels dropped onto man, said to be in his 40s, while they were being unloaded from a delivery truck.

The load a batch of 18 panels, weighing around 1,250kg was being unloaded by a loader crane on the delivery truck when the chain slings being used to lift the load broke, causing them to fall on to the operator who was we understand standing next the truck and operating the crane with the remote controller.

It took the emergency some time to remove the load from the man, as the controller was too badly damaged, so a fire and rescue Unimog and loader crane had to be called in to help remove the load. The man was then declared dead at the scene.
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A rescue crane helps free the trapped man

The project is a single family home being built on the site of an older home that was demolished to make way for the new build.

Vertikal Comment

Regardless of whether this is a tower crane, an All Terrain or even a large telehandler with jib attachment – or heaven forbid an excavator, the end result is the same as is the cause - another case of failed slings, rigging or lifting gear. In some quarters- particularly smaller sites - not enough attention is given to the under the hook lifting gear, which is every bit as critical as the crane itself.