28.08.2025

Jib down in Melbourne

The jib of a large luffing jib tower crane was 'blown' over the back, during moderate to strong winds in the Derrimut suburb of west Melbourne, Australia on Wednesday morning.

The crane a Favelle Favco M-1280D from the General Cranes fleet, can handle 150 tonnes at a 17.8 metre radius or 13 tonnes at 80 metres. It was working on a new data centre when the incident occurred. Wind speeds are reported to have been between 40 and 50kph.

The jib came down onto a couple of parked cars but thankfully no one was hurt in the incident. The operator remained in his cab until rescued around an hour after the incident occurred. He was checked and assessed for shock, but no special treatment was required.

WorkSafe investigators were notified and planned to visit the site to inspect the scene and determine the cause.