Industrial Crane Accidents - Essay Example

Industrial Crane Accidents First Middle initial(s), and United Kingdom Introduction This paper focuses on the issue involving industrial crane accidents and will attempt to cite a number of major reasons why these accidents occur in the workplace. The brief study will also attempt to do an analysis of these accidents and put forward conclusions and offer opinions on the basic reasons for these accident events. As we have noticed, major accidents in construction sites almost always involve the operation of industrial cranes that can happen on land and offshore. They often happen without warning. Accidents involving cranes most often end in serious injuries and even death. Based on a news item published in www.ameinfo.com/, Thursday, September 24 – 2009, over 80% crane-related accidents are caused by human error. The report added that cranes share the potential for disaster when they are not operated safely. The report further stated that over 90 % of crane construction accidents happen as a result of human error with rigging being the most common cause of human error crane accidents. In another report published September 24, 2009 at www.bi-me.com/ (Business Intelligence – Middle East), it says that human error and unsafe behaviour accounts for almost 90% of all industrial crane accidents, including those caused by inexperienced and unskilled workers. The most common cause of accidents or industrial accidents is often attributed to human error such as operational error, judgmental error, or job-related error, all of which are caused by human characteristics. Most of these errors are said to be associated with psychological factors affecting human behaviour. Recent Significant Industrial Crane Accidents Fire-fighters search for victims after a crane fell from a building under construction in south Chinas Guangdong Province on Friday, December 4, 2009. The accident that killed three people was posted at CRIENGLISH.com, a China Radio Internationals official English website. A municipal government spokesman said, the accident happened at about 4:10 p.m. when the 30-tonne tower crane fell from the 50th floor of Taishang Building in Dongguan City, breaking further through three stories in the basement and finally landed. Initial investigation suggests "quality problem" of the tower crane caused the accident. The Taishang Building which is dubbed as the "NO.1 Skyscraper in Dongguan," will rise at 289 meters tall, with 68 floors on the ground and four stories in the basement. In a news report filed by Erwin Seba, Reuters 19 Jul 2008 in Houston, four workers were killed when one of the worlds largest cranes collapsed at a Houston. Lysondell Basell Houston refinery spokesman David Roznowski told a news conference seven workers were also hurt when the crane fell. Production at the 270,000 barrel per day (bpd) refinery was not affected by the collapse of the 600-foot (182.8-meter) tall crane, Roznowski said. All of those killed were employees of the cranes owner Deep South Crane & Rigging of Baton Rouge, Louisiana, he said. The crane was at the Lyondell refinery on the Houston Ship Channel to lift a giant steel derrick from a coking unit, which squeezes the last refinable material from a barrel of crude oil, as part of a seven-week overhaul, the company spokesman said. Common causes associated with crane accidents In a news analysis filed by Jermyn Chow, Sep 11, 2009, Strait Times Digital edition, a national taskforce, she wrote, has found that bosses - both on the ground and in the office - were the No.1 reason behind crane accidents in the last few years. Out of 40 investigated crane accidents between 2003 and 2007, twenty-four were caused by lapses among those in management positions. At least seven men died and three were hurt in the 40 accidents, which involved mobile and tower cranes. Those responsible included supervisors on the ground who failed to inspect cranes and worksites properly before work started, or who failed to supervise sufficiently crane operators who resorted to shortcuts and breaking the rules to get the job done fast. Top suits, like chief executive officers and directors, were also culpable, said the National Crane Safety Taskforce. They failed to enforce proper safety plans before starting work and neglected to train workers to deal competently with cranes. The high-level eight-member taskforce consisted of government safety officials, private contractors and crane operators formed in July after a spate of crane accidents at worksites during the construction boom of recent years. Last year, there were 162 crane-related accidents, which resulted in the deaths of five people and left 139 injured. In 2007, four men died and 107 were injured. The study also found that crane operators were another weak link in 23 of the 40 cases. Most crane operators flouted safety rules, overloading the crane or ignoring warning alarms. Others were not properly briefed at best, or were unqualified at worst. Other contributing factors to cranes toppling included faulty cranes and unsuitable worksite conditions, such as ground which was too soft to support the structures. However, Kevin Teoh, deputy executive director of the Workplace Safety and Health (WSH) Council, said management compliance is the key, as it sets the tone for safety policies within the company. The latest crane developments Come to think of it, to maintain an accident – free environment, keeping the area beneath the crane clear is as essential as crane operation in the air and good ground- level management is extremely important. Huge advances have taken place in the last thirty years relating to crane operation and including crane design, the ability to analyse lift capacity to weight ratio and increased control and ground safety. In the United Kingdom, the most important new development is the SLI (Safe Load Indicator), more commonly known as the rated capacity indicator. The Construction (Lifting Operations) Regulations, established in 1961, required all UK cranes with a lifting capacity of over one tonne to be fitted with an approved SLI and radius indicator. As this corner gathered, safety procedures that can be followed to avoid crane construction accidents were the following: 1. All crane operators should be trained and pass crane operating exams 2. All cranes should be properly maintained 3. A lift angle, weight, and height should be determined before a lift takes place 4. No weight should be carried out of the cranes lifting ability 5. Workers must use visual signals to communicate information about a lift. The United Crane Operators Association at www.lifting-world.co.uk aims to assist with the training of new operators within the industry and promote safe working practices. Virtual training environments use 3-D training models with simulated scenarios to show loading motion and different lift conditions. References www.ameinfo.com/, Thursday, September 24 – 2009, Over 80% crane-related accidents are caused by human error. www.bi-me.com/ September 24, 2009 (Business Intelligence – Middle East), Human error and unsafe behaviour accounts for almost 90% of all industrial crane accidents. CRIENGLISH.com, a China Radio Internationals official English website, Tower Crane Falls from Building. Erwin Seba, Reuters 19 Jul 2008, Four workers were killed in Houston when one of the worlds largest cranes collapsed at a Houston Jermyn Chow, Strait Times Digital edition Sep 11, 2009, A national taskforce, she wrote, has found that bosses - both on the ground and in the office - were the No.1 reason behind crane accidents in the last few years. Read More