We have new information about the company operating the crane that tipped over Wednesday at Deaconess Hospital. The crane was removing a cooling tower from the hospital roof when it tipped and slammed into some cars. It came to rest in a backyard after missing power lines and crashing through a fence. No one was hit or hurt in the process.

After reviewing safety records, it turns out this is not the first accident involving the company operating this crane.  Rent-A-Crane was involved in a fatal accident on the Chesapeake campus in 2010.  Michael Parsons, 42, was killed when something fell off a crane there.

OSHA also listed Rent-A-Crane as a company cited in a crane accident death in Dallas in 2007.  Rent A Crane released this statement Thursday afternoon:

“The incident that occurred yesterday at Deaconess Hospital is under investigation and the company is not able to comment at this time. With respect to the unfortunate accident that occurred in 2010 in Oklahoma City, the Rent-A-Crane family was deeply saddened by the loss of Michael Parsons, who was a highly qualified crane operator and valuable employee. Contrary to recent news reports, while litigation has been filed, Rent-A-Crane is not a party to that litigation and has not been sued. Rather, Mr. Parson’s estate and another injured employee claim, among other things, that the accident was caused by a defective crane design and inadequate warnings. Rent-A-Crane remains 100 percent committed to a safe working environment for its employees and customers.” – Ryan Leonard, attorney for Rent-A-Crane of Oklahoma, Inc.

More digging shows the laws about crane operations in Oklahoma are changing.  Right now the state does not require crane operators to be certified.  However that will not be the case in a few years.  We’re told the state will require all crane operators to be certified by 2014.

We do not know if the crane operator in Wednesday’s accident was certified or not, but most companies do require the certification for their employees even though the state does not yet demand it.

Source:

http://www.kfor.com/news/local/kfor-hospital-crane-accident-not-first-for-crane-company-20120202,0,7255719.story

It has also warned that Municipal inspectors would be carrying out unannounced site visits. A spokesman also confirmed that similar checks will be shortly required for scaffolding and that formal training certification for operators is likely.

If a crane is found to be operating without the new certification- issued by a government approved engineer, the companies responsible can face a fine of up to Dh 10,000. ($2,750). If the company is caught a second time, the penalty will be doubled and legal action is likely. If a crane that has been involved in an accident is found not to be certified the penalties and legal repercussions will be more serious again.

Salah Al Sarraj acting executive director of town planning at the municipality, said: “These procedures ensure a high degree of safety and establish the actual worthiness of equipment and will help prevent highly disruptive accidents.”

Click here to see crane boom blocks traffic in Abu Dhabi

Source:

http://www.vertikal.net/en/news/story/12745/

Based in Canada, CMLabs produces simulators, under the Vortex brand name, for application across the industry, in construction, offshore, dockside and industry. Simulated machines range from mobile to tower cranes, offshore knuckle booms to platform and ship cranes, and overheads to pick and carry cranes.

High wind, blind lifts, tandem lifts with two simulators and engineered heavy lifts can all be experienced. Simulators also help build quick reactions and experience with the unexpected: a sling break, high wind gust or outrigger failure.

Euan Youdale: How has crane simulation developed over recent years and why?

Arnold Free: Crane simulators have been used for operator training since the mid-1990s. Early simulators did not have very realistic graphics and the simulation of the crane and load dynamics was poor. In addition, training content was really limited to basic control familiarisation and understanding basic operating procedures. Today there is a wide range of simulator products available, from simplistic desktop ‘crane games’ to very immersive high-fidelity simulators. Cost for crane simulator solutions varies from several thousand dollars to many hudreds of thousands.

EY: How has the technology progressed to enable this?

AF: The improvements in low-cost computing power and 3D graphics have made the technology more accessible. Simulators that cost close to US$1 million 10 to 15 years ago can be built for half or a third of that cost today. In addition, there has been considerable progress in software technology to build simulations. Tools like Vortex, a commercial software development toolkit to build equipment simulators, allow software developers to accurately simulate the dynamics of heavy equipment and hoisting systems with off-the-shelf solutions. That challenge in delivering high quality simulation-based training is moving from a technical challenge to one of a training and learning content development challenge – building effective training).

EY: How will technology allow the development of simulators in the future?

AF: The quality of the simulation – visual and fidelity of dynamics – will continue to improve as will the training content for real skills development. More integrated training is becoming available: team based training, integrated maintenance, rigger, equipment training.

EY: How will simulators’ offerings expand in the future?

AF: One area we see a growing interest is in team-training; it is simply not good enough to only train the operator. Lift operations is team work and it is essential to train the operator, signalman and rigger to work together. In the case of tandem lifts, or engineered lifts, such as wind turbine erection, not only do team members need to work together but more than one piece of equipment needs to work together as well. Building immersive simulation-based training for the entire lift team is not only possible, we have implemented it at training institutes today. Team work cannot be taught in a class room, and a simulated multi-player training environment is the ideal solution to build team work before the lift crew is on the worksite.

We also see a growing need to train operators in specific equipment with the integration of OEM control systems. In the past, simulator suppliers have tended to mimic control systems for cranes. However, cranes are becoming more-and-more complex to operate. The skills operators need is moving from basic hand-eye coordination to become systems managers as the computer systems on board cranes becomes more and more complex.

EY: How do simulators tie up with certification and training bodies?

AF: In the construction industry we have incorporated certification tests within the training exercises. Operators can practice standard tests such as the NCCCO [National Commission for the Certification of Operators] tests using different types and sizes of cranes. Procedures such as start-up tasks, pre-lift inspection and deployment of outriggers are all incorporated so students can learn safe operating procedures that reflect the current standards.

In the offshore industry we have adopted guidelines from OMHEC [Offshore Mechanical Handling Equipment Committee] for operator, signalman and rigger training in a team-based learning context. Vortex simulators are in use at many training institutes and those organisations have very much influenced the training content within the exercises.

We also see simulation being used for certification and re-certification more and more. For example, North Sea crane operators must be recertified every three years. This recertification can be done using simulators. The role and use of simulation will continue to grow – in some areas we are even building simulation-based training directly into the actual equipment so operators can perform training in the equipment seat during downtime.

EY: Are there developments in training people who work outside the cab?

AF: We see a lot of interest in the use of simulation for lift planning. There is a growing need to simulate engineered lifts in advance, by an engineer or lift specialist in a desktop application context. Essentially providing a 3D environment where an engineer can select a crane, define the load and lifting conditions and actually perform the lift virtually.

This type of tool can be used to evaluate equipment performance, site safety and even as input to training site operators on how a lift will be performed. We have been doing quite a bit of this work in the offshore industry related to subsea lift. Using simulation at the planning stage allows companies to reduce project risk, evaluate alternatives to reduce cost and improve safety. To date this has largely been driven by the offshore industry due to the complexities and high cost of operations and safety issues related to deep water subsea and heavy lifts.

Source:

http://www.khl.com/magazines/international-cranes-and-specialized-transport/detail/item70657/Arnold-Free,-CMLabs-chief-operating-officer,-talks-about-crane-simulators/

The men were walking along the crane’s jib when one of them fell. The emergency services were called to the site in Bower Street, following a report that a man had been injured on the site.

Police established a crime scene and the area was examined by forensic specialists. The man’s next of kin have been informed. Detectives have been interviewing a number of witnesses to the incident but said that there does not appear to be any suspicious circumstances surrounding the incident.

Vertikal Comment

Over the years there have been numerous reports of people climbing tower cranes at night for a lark. The majority of the time they get away with it and in many cases the site workers are unaware that anyone has even been there. The only clues being photos or video clips posted on web sites that cater for that sort of thing.

The risk of falling is always there though, especially if drink is involved. The sad thing is that the site and the contractor are likely to face some disruption, regarding questions on site and crane security.

Source:

http://www.vertikal.net/en/news/story/14060/

The operator said that he had set up the crane properly but that as he lifted a particularly heavy load the outriggers skidded forward causing the crane to go over. The boom came down onto the roof of the house, preventing the crane form completely overturning. No one was injured in the incident.

The crane was winched upright and appeared to have suffered little damage to the boom, however the crew struggled to close the machine up, indicating some structural damage.

Vertikal Comment

Tree trimming or removal is now one of the most common causes of crane’s overturning. All too often the tree limbs or parts are heavier than anyone expected and with cranes working at long radii, a miscalculation of a couple of hundred kilos often ends in tears.

In this case ice may have played a role – but needn’t have if the outrigger mats were clear of the stuff along with the ground underneath them. Most of all it would have been an overload or borderline overload that would have played a role in this incident.

Crane operators taking on such work need to put as much planning, if not more into this type of job – which tends to be treated casually – than with larger more sophisticated ones.

Source:

http://www.vertikal.net/en/news/story/14044/

The crane was working on the construction of the second Waal bridge when it started to sink into the soft ground and went over backwards. Its boom came down onto the existing bridge structure blocking traffic. It also struck the cab of a truck on the bridge. Thankfully neither the truck driver, nor any one else was injured in the incident and it is hoped that the road will be cleared later this evening.

The crane is owned and operated by specialist contractor Voorbij Funderingstechniek of Amsterdam. Its staff on site confirmed that the crane simply sank while being manoeuvred. We have been unable to obtain an official statement this evening.

The falling boom also left two men stranded on the top of one of the bridge support pillars under construction. They were rescued after an hour by an aerial lift.

Vertikal Comment

This is a highly unusual incident for the Netherlands, due to the ground almost always being soft crawler cranes invariably work on timber mat platforms. This company is highly experienced in this type of application so we can only assume that the crane came off of the mats?

Hopefully we will be able to provide more information later.

Source:

http://www.vertikal.net/en/news/story/14029/

The new ECO Lift zyPad mats are manufactured from regenerated composite material, measure 500 x 500mm square and are 50mm thick with a recess and non-slip finish as standard. The new pads are manufactured by a special casting method and have been proof tested by Sheffield University’s Department of Engineering to 25 tonnes.

PL Crane Sales has been providing composite mats for many years and is now Europe’s leading provider of mats to the crane and aerial lift market. It current range of mats available in any size and shape and customised to the user carry a lifetime guarantee, which according to the company has never been called on.

As with all high quality outrigger mats the initial purchase price is not cheap, so the company has spent the past couple of years working with its suppliers to research and design a new mat that would suit the higher volume market for smaller standard mats and be more cost effective without sacrificing durability.

The dimensions – 500mm square – were selected to cover over 95 percent of applications for equipment weighting 7.5 tonnes and under and thanks to their weight at just under 12kg and cost, avoiding the need for rental companies to carry more than one size of mat.

The zyPads are equipped with carrying handles and include a large circular recess to accommodate the foot pads of most mobile equipment. The recess also has a non-slip surface to add friction between the vehicle and the mat, particularly useful in applications where the mat might not be perfectly level.

The mats are manufactured in the United Kingdom and have been cycle tested by Sheffield University with a vertical pressure loading of 25 tonnes without failure. PLC Sales is though rating the ZyPads to 15 tonnes per pad – more than twice the possible loading of the equipment they are designed for and with a massive built in safety factor.

Eco says that other pad designs were explored and tested, including providing non-slip inserts, the production version of the ZyPad is the end result, having achieved the highest results in every test.

Source:

http://www.vertikal.net/en/news/story/13981/

MCM Events will welcome an OSHA representative to address delegates at its jointly-held Crane & Rigging Conference and Industrial Crane & Hoist Conference (CRC/ICHC), at the Hampton Inn Hotel & Suites New Orleans—Convention Center, New Orleans, La., 23-24 May, 2012.

The OSHA representative will speak to ICHC delegates about, ‘What to expect during an OSHA inspection’, followed by a question and answer session. The presentation will follow an overview of OSHA 1910.179, delivered by Tom Reardon, training manager, hoists and cranes, at Event Partner, Columbus McKinnon Corp. He will ask, ‘Does OSHA 1910.179 apply?’, and explore crane configurations, regulations and standards. 

“Many of us have experienced the concern prompted by crane inspection reports listing discrepancies as OSHA violations. Not all of these reports are accurate,” says Reardon. “Some confusion exists among crane and hoist owners, users, and service providers regarding crane configurations and the application of OSHA 1910.179 regulations.” 

Reardon is inviting industry stakeholders to submit questions regarding standards and regulation, to which he will source answers from ASME/ANSI, OSHA, CMAA, etc, and share them with delegates at the end of his presentation. 

Additional breakout sessions are designed for the interests of users of mobile and tower cranes used in construction. Safe operation in high winds is of special concern to tower crane users in the Gulf Coast region. Brian Silbernagel, corporate safety director, and Mike Quinn, engineering manager, for Morrow Equipment Co., Salem, Ore., will address high wind and hurricane preparedness for tower cranes. The session will cover pre-erection precautions as well as what to do in the face of imminent natural disaster. 

Other sessions on accident investigation, lift planning, and rigging have universal appeal. Mike Parnell, president and CEO of Industrial Training International (ITI), Woodland, Wash., will share several rigging accidents, and will delve into the resulting investigation. Al Abel, a lifting specialist and safety manager since 1995 for Mazzella Lifting Technologies, Cleveland, Ohio, will review applicable ANSI standards to help attendees prepare a lift plan that considers proper equipment selection, inspection, and connection. Mike Riggs, president of The Rigging Institute, Knoxville, Tenn., will provide insight into the most commonly overlooked defects found on both wire rope and synthetic slings. 

Finally, attendees won’t want to miss the closing session with Brent Darnell, author of The People-Profit Connection. Darnell will present a session titled “Primal Safety: A gut-level approach using emotional intelligence to enhance your safety program.” Brent will demonstrate how a simple focus on emotional competencies along with practical knowledge about how people learn, retain, and apply information, can turn your safety program around.

Event Partners are Crane Institute Certification and Columbus McKinnon Corp. 

Register prior to March 31, 2012, to receive the early bird rate of $550. Rates will increase to $695 on April 1, 2012. 

MCM Events is managed by Maximum Capacity Media, publisher of Crane & Rigging Hot Line; Industrial Lift & Hoist; Lift and Access; and Lift & Hoist International magazines.

Source:

http://www.industrialliftandhoist.com/?id=6070

A BURY firm has been fined £40,000 after a horrific crane accident left a man severely injured. David Collins is now a paraplegic after suffering serious injuries to his head, back and legs when metal tubes weighing as much as a transit van fell on top of him.

The 31-year-old father-of-two was working as a lorry driver and crane operator for Spectra Scaffolding, based at the Warth Road industrial estate, off Radcliffe Road. at the time of the accident.

At Stoke-on-Trent Crown Court on Monday, Judge Robert Trevor-Jones fined the firm £40,000 and ordered them to pay £45,000 prosecution costs.

The court heard how, on November 7, 2008, Mr Collins was unloading 21ft-long scaffolding tubes from the back of a truck using a mobile crane at the Argos outlet in Hanley, Staffordshire.

One of the lifting slings detached from the crane hook, causing the metal tubes, weighing nearly one-and-a-half tonnes, to fall onto him.

Mr Collins, from Gorton, was taken to hospital and remains paralysed more than three years on.

The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) investigated and Spectra was charged with failing to plan the work adequately and failing to train or supervise Mr Collins properly.

On behalf of the firm, the directors pleaded guilty to both charges.

After the hearing, HSE inspector Lindsay Hope said: “As a result of this incident Mr Collins has been severely disabled and could easily have been killed.

“Companies that operate lorry-mounted cranes must ensure their operators undertake appropriate, recognised training in all aspects.

“In this instance, the lift wasn’t properly planned or supervised and Mr Collins hadn’t been sufficiently trained in how to use the crane and slings properly.

“Furthermore, the equipment had not been properly maintained and should never have been used.”

Mr Collins declined to comment on the court case.

A spokesman for Spectra said the firm did not wish to comment

Source:

http://www.thisislancashire.co.uk/news/9467509.Accident_crane_firm_fined___40k_by_court/

It is organised by the European Association of Abnormal Road Transport and Mobile Cranes (ESTA) in response to the high number of accidents involving mobile cranes during erection of wind turbines. The focus of the event will be on how to help minimise safety problems arising while erecting, maintaining and transporting wind turbines.

The ESTA Expert Summit is an exciting networking, business information and technical event for the leaders of the world’s wind power industry, their suppliers and equipment manufacturers. It is supported by Europe’s leading crane and transport equipment manufacturers, the FEM equipment manufacturers’ association, and by wind turbine manufacturers.

Speakers will include leading professionals from the wind turbine manufacturing companies, specialists in lifting and transport, insurance companies and equipment manufacturers.

Venue is the Courtyard Marriott Hamburg Airport Hotel and the event will be hosted by former BBC newsman Peter Hobday, who many readers may know from the KHL Group’s World Crane and Transport Summit event.

Tickets for the one day conference, networking functions, lunch, refreshments, delegate packs and dinner are available for Euro 250 +VAT from http://www.esta-eu.org/esta%E2%80%99s-experts-summit-hamburg

More details will be updated as they become available.

Source:

http://www.khl.com/magazines/international-cranes-and-specialized-transport/detail/item70150/New-wind-turbine-safety-summit/