25.11.2007

Coroner calls for design changes

Ontario Southwestern Regional Coroner Jack Stanborough has called for a change in the design of crane cabs to allow for at least two emergency escape routes in the case of overturning.

The call came after seven days of testimony at the inquest into the January 2006 death of Michael Hipson, 42, from Ajax, Ontario, who died after his crane went off the road near the Erie Shores Wind Farm in Port Burwell.

The accident occurred on January 23, 2006, when Hipson’s crane went off the road and was partially submerged in a pond along Glen Erie Line. Hipson died relatively quickly from hypothermia and drowning. The single carrier cab was submerged with the door blocked by the weight of the crane.

The crane remained in water for around two hours after a rescue crane became bogged down when another section of the road gave way.

The aim of the inquest was to provide recommendations to prevent similar incidents from happening in the future and it focused on two points, a) Whether the 80 tonne was permitted for the road which collapsed under its weight, and b) The condition of the road to take heavy traffic to the Erie Shores Wind Farm.

Clayton Watters, director of engineering with the County of Elgin confirmed that permits were not required in January, he also confirmed that part of the road slid away under the weight of the crane. A pond had also formed alongside the roadway due to an undiscovered blocked culvert, located under the road.

Dave Kiefer, project manager for H.B. White Construction, told the inquest that he hadn’t see any signs on Glen Erie Line that restricted vehicle weight or size and presumed the road was safe.

“We assumed that all public roads are built to specifications and were safe to be travelled on,” he said. “If there was a problem with the road, there would be signage.”

Hipson, a father of two had worked for Cooper's Crane Rental for about three years. The Toronto based company was involved with the Erie Shores Wind Farm.

Coppers was established in 1959 and runs a fleet of around 100 cranes, the company was acquired in late October by Sterling crane, part of the Marmon Group which is ultimately owned by the Pritzker family.