01.03.2008

Crane crashes into roof

A cranes boom crashed into a house in Broadstairs, Kent, UK, yesterday after it toppled over while lifting a container over the roof of the building.

The crane, a Demag AC50 owned by Canterbury based Bedingfield Lifting, tipped at around 8:30 on Friday morning causing the fully extended boom to crash into the roof.
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First impressions are that the ground under the rear outrigger gave way

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The boom crashed through the roof

Over 30 firefighters are reported to have raced to the scene, fortunately no one was hurt, although the driver was naturally shaken.
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The crane was set up close to the house and an excavated area

Bedingfields, founded in 2001, is owned by Tony Bedingfield and has a good safety record, claiming over two million man hours without an incident. An investigation is being carried out, but the photographs we were sent suggests that the ground gave way below the rear left hand outrigger. The crane was set up close to an area that was being excavated and tilted into a mini excavator.
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The crane tipped into a mini excavator

Two cranes, a 120 tonne and 160 tonner were brought in to recover the stricken crane.