12.07.2008

Runaway crane costs $75,000

Canadian crane company AW Leil Cranes of Thorburn, Nova Scotia has been hit for $75,000 in fines and costs after one of its cranes ran away in New Glasgow two years ago.

The runaway crane a 55 tonne Rough Terrain, was about to lift a wooden house onto a truck on July 17, 2006 when its brakes failed. It rolled down a steep street, through two busy intersections, knocking down power poles on the way. The crane finally stopped when it struck a concrete abutment of a railway bridge. Amazingly no one was hurt, apart from a few scratches on the operator who had little choice but to stay in the crane.

New Glasgow provincial court judge R.A. Stroud agreed with a joint recommendation from the prosecutor and the lawyer for A.W. Leil Holdings and fined the company $25,000, plus a $3,750 victim surcharge.

The judge also ordered the company to pay out a further $46,250 to establish a safety management program that includes tuition costs for training; introducing software to track the maintenance of its crane fleet across four locations; and updating its ISO certification to the best standards for the crane industry.

Included in the $46,250 is $10,000 that the company must contribute to a health and safety public education fund, plus any funds remaining after the other court orders are satisfied.

The costs come on top of $85,000 paid in restitution to the town, Aliant, Nova Scotia Power, and others for the damage left in the crane’s wake.

The company pleaded guilty to failing to ensure adequate brakes and to maintain adequate safety devices. Investigators found that a diaphragm in a brake component was perforated, causing a decrease in pressure and the brakes to fail. A buzzer to warn the operator was disconnected but wasn’t noticed because of the company’s inspection practices.

The judge dismissed three other charges after crown prosecutor Peter Craig offered no evidence. The penalty is "not simply a licence to do business," said Stroud, adding that Leil Holdings had reacted responsibly. He gave the company a year to pay.

Alison Leil owner of Leil Cranes on leaving the court said: "All I have to say is praise the Lord nobody got hurt."