RR820 - Tower crane incidents worldwide - HSE

4.9.7 Penang, Malaysia
On 20 December 2006, the top of a saddle jib tower crane fell from the mast section. No more
details have been found concerning this incident, however vertikal.net suggested that the crane
was operating in very strong wind conditions. The photograph accompanying the vertikal article
is not very clear. However it does appear to show that the mast section has been tied to the
building.
This incident has been categorised in the Extreme Weather group.
The crane is shown in Figure 16.
4.10 2007 INCIDENTS
4.10.1 Liverpool, Merseyside, England
On 15 January 2007 a Jaso J138PA luffing crane collapsed. The subsequent HSE investigation
showed that the crane had been operating with a steeply raised jib at or close to minimum
working radius. Wind speeds were approaching the maximum permitted 20 m/s and it is
believed that short duration gusts in excess of this were being experienced.
It is believed that the sequence of events leading to the incident was:
• The jib was facing the wind direction and the jib was blown backwards against
the spring stops on the ‘A’ frame.
• In this process the luffing rope became slack and came out of the grooves of
one or more of the pulleys at the top of the ‘A’ frame.
• This caused a snag or jam such that the jib of the crane could not be lowered
using the luffing system. However, the crane driver operated the controls to
lower the jib and a large amount of luffing rope was payed out from the luffing
winch drum and this hung down in a loop behind the crane.
• At some point the luffing rope jam at the top of the ‘A’ frame cleared and the
jib was released. This is attributed to the driver slewing the crane out of the
wind and the load or the hook snagging on the mast section or some lights
attached to the mast section.
• Once released, the jib free fell through a large arc (calculated to be
approximately 38º) and was suddenly arrested by the luffing system.
• The sudden arrest of the falling jib shock loaded the bolts attaching the top of
the crane to the mast section and these failed in sudden gross bending/tensile
overload and the top of the crane fell from the mast.
This incident has been categorised in the Extreme Weather group.
4.10.2 Bucharest, Romania
A saddle jib tower crane partially collapsed on 17 January 2007. It is reported that the incident
took place whilst the crane was being dismantled. No further details have been found.
This incident has been categorised in the Erection/Dismantling/Extending group.
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