Safety

A fatal crane accident at BHP Billiton’s iron ore operations at Port Hedland in Western Australia’s Pilbara region has suspended operations at the facility while an investigation is carried out.

Heavy haulers have had to invest in new equipment to haul wind components due to their increasing weights and heights. Permitting and regulatory issues continue to complicate matters. Jeff Hampton reports. Transporters of wind energy components are juggling the challenges of carrying ever-larger loads and maneuvering the continued tangle of permits.

With all the reports of wind turbine installations we could not resist publishing a report on a more traditional windmill erection job. The Zeldenrust Windmill in the Dutch town of Dokkum is an octagonal ‘stellingmolen’ or Smock and cap stage mill, with four pairs of stones two for wheat and two for producing pearl barley.

Babcock and ZPMC commissioned the new 1,000 tonne gantry crane today at the Rosyth dockyard in Scotland. The 90 metre high 120 metre span crane lifted a mere 150 tonne load today in front of 1,200 people to kick off the formal load testing programme.

Lifting Technologies, headquartered in Missoula, Montana has a nice working relationship with Industrial Training International. They supply crane suspended manbaskets at ITI Training Centers in Woodland, Washington and Memphis, Tennessee while hundreds of project engineers, operators, and riggers utilize them each year in crane and rigging training programs.

A crane operator is in an intensive-care hospital unit after receiving an electric shock, when the boom of his crane contacted overhead power lines in Toronto, Canada yesterday.

The man, said to be in his 30s, sustained second-degree burns to his arms but his injuries are not life-threatening.

SOLITEC®, recently unveiled at the Interalpin 2011 Trade Show in Austria, is TEUFELBERGER‘s latest generation of round strand ropes. It stands for SOLId TEChnology, that is, long service life, minimal initial elongation, and highest flexibility. Ultimate traveling comfort and quietest operation are the result of a refined, innovative manufacturing process that has allowed TEUFELBERGER’s engineers to largely cancel out a rope’s initial elongation as early as in the production stage.

The aircraft, which has welcomed visitors to the Alameda Naval Station for 32 years, had been subject to a two year restoration project and was being placed back on its pedestal in time for July 4th celebrations. No one was injured but the damage could take another two years to put right. The crane, a Grove four axle truck crane was working for contractor NRC Environmental. A similar sized truck crane was called out from Bigge to rescue both the crane and the stricken aircraft which was returned to the hanger.

The International Sign Association’s successful Mobile Crane Operator Safety Certification Training is now available for direct delivery. ISA member companies and non-members simply need to register a minimum number of employees to participate in the certification training and ISA will bring and conduct the program to any location.

Crews were cleaning up a construction site after a crane overturned in north Houston on Friday. Officials said the crane, which was being used for a Metro Rail project, was picking up re-barb at 1650 North Main near Hogan when it toppled over around10:45 a.m.