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Tower Crane Accidents: Causes, Concerns, and Correct Procedures. Presented By: Jim Getting, Ph.D. Consultation Education & Training (CET) Division Michigan Occupational Safety & Health Administration Michigan Department of Energy, Labor & Economic Growth www.michigan.gov/miosha (517) 322-1809.
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Tower Crane Accidents:Causes, Concerns, and Correct Procedures Presented By: Jim Getting, Ph.D.Consultation Education & Training (CET) Division Michigan Occupational Safety & Health Administration Michigan Department of Energy, Labor & Economic Growth www.michigan.gov/miosha(517) 322-1809
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MIOSHA Training InstituteCertification What is it? Through this certification you will begin the process of developing a safety and health management system while becoming familiar with MIOSHA Standards and other relevant topics.
MIOSHA Training InstituteCertification What are the benefits? • Conducted by credible MIOSHA consultants • CEUs, CSPs, Maintenance points • Validation of a set of knowledge • Standardized curriculum path • Increased recognition for employee & employer • Tracking of course completion
Objectives • Analyze the scope and magnitude of the problem. • Summarize recent tower crane accidents. • Describe specific actions that can prevent tower crane accidents.
Tower Cranes: Defined Luffing Jib Hammerhead
How many tower crane accidents? • Short Answer: Nobody knows exactly. • Web sites inconsistent, not comprehensive. • Industry sources are not comprehensive. • Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) Census of Fatal Occupational Injuries (CFOI) • Commonly used and widely accepted. • Limitations. • Fatalities only. • Data sometimes incomplete, little accuracy checking. • McCann (2008) cites 632 crane related fatalities from 1992 – 2006. • First report from CPWR cited 323 crane related fatalities from 1992 – 2006*. * As reported in Greene, M.V. (Sept 2008) Many sided problem. Safety and Health Magazine. National Safety Council.
BLS Classifications Two Groups May Apply: • Portal, tower, and pillar (grouping comes from ASME B30.4). • Hammerhead cranes. Portal Crane (portalcranes.com) Pillar crane (hoists.apluswhs.com) Hammerhead Crane (freefoto.com)
Tower Crane-Related Deaths in Construction by Year, 1992-2008 • 1992 – 2007 Bureau of Labor Statistics Census of Fatal Occupational Injuries • 2008 data summarized from news sources
Crane-Related Deaths in Construction by Year, 1992-2006 Data summarized by: McCann (2008) Crane Related Deaths and Injuries in Construction. Center for Construction Research and Training. Original Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics Census of Fatal Occupational Injuries Research File.
Tower Crane Versus All Crane Deaths in Construction by Year, 1992-2008 • 1992 – 2007 Bureau of Labor Statistics Census of Fatal Occupational Injuries. • 2008 data summarized from news sources.
Expected Frequency of Tower Crane Accidents and Fatalities • 2.1% of cranes are tower cranes. • 2000 tower cranes and 96000 cranes total*. • 5% of crane accidents are tower cranes • (16 of 306)**. • 42 crane related fatalities per year (average)**. • Expect .84 tower crane fatalities per year, if accidents were proportional. • Actual for 1997-2008 = 34 fatalities or 2.83 per year. • OSHA press release (2008) • McCann (2008)
Is it just recently that tower cranes have started having accidents? • No. • Crane type has changed: • internal vs external to the structure. • Far more tower cranes in use. • There appears to be an increasing incident rate.
What Does It All Mean? • Increased rate has been happening for years, but barely noticed. • Still very infrequent compared to: • 5 fatal falls in Michigan in 2008. • 3 electrocutions in Michigan in 2008. • Crane accidents in general. • Digital cameras, 24 hour news: • Sometimes cause us to over-estimate dangers. • In this case, it made us more aware of an important problem!
Recent Tower Crane Accidents • New York, (3/15/2008), 7 dead. • Rigging failed, collar dropped, crane fell. • Miami, FL, (3/25/2008), 2 dead, 5 injured. • Dropped section of crane while “jumping” crane • New York, NY, (5/30/2008), 2 dead. • Weld on turntable fails, jib and cab fall. • New York, NY, (9/4/2008), 1 dead. • Guardrail removed. Erector falls. • Annapolis, MD, (4/30/2008), 1 dead. • Crushed between boom sections while disassembling. • Bellevue, WA, (11/16/2006), 1 dead. • Inadequate base. Collapse onto apartment.
Review of accidents:Bellevue, Washington, 11/16/2006 • Crane severed 15’ from base. • No load on crane. • Landed on 3 buildings. • One bystander killed. • Minor injuries to operator. • Operator drug use? • Excessive leaning? 3 feet. • Proper weathervane prior to incident? 80 mph winds. Photo courtesy: Andrea James and John Iwasaki (Nov 17, 2006) Seattle Post Intelligence
Bellevue, Washington, 11/16/2006 Citations: • $5,600 – Magnusson Klemencic Associates – Engineering firm that designed the foundation. • The base did not meet manufacturer requirements. • $9,200 – Lease Crutcher Lewis – The general contractor. • Not ensuring the crane was maintained and used properly. • Not inspecting the tower. • Hanging two large banners on it that could affect the crane's operations.
12/1/2006Near Miss • Another Bellevue, Washington. • Cracks in the tower. • Cause: Water collected inside. Weepholes were clogged. Water froze and burst the steel. Photo courtesy: Scott Eklund(Dec 1, 2006) Seattle Post Intelligence
12/1/2006 Near Miss • Duct Tape??? • Note: same company erected this one as the crane that fell in Bellevue. • Note – 2 other cranes were found to have 2’ long hairline cracks in the next week in the same city. Photo courtesy: Scott Eklund(Dec 1, 2006) Seattle Post Intelligence
New York: March 15, 2008 • Seven Fatalities. • Rigger offered FOUR new slings by construction manager. • No inspection of slings. • Used FOUR slings. Manufacturer said use EIGHT. • Did not use softeners. Photo courtesy: New York Times
New York: March 15, 2008 Photo courtesy: New York Times
The Red Flag That Got OverlookedNew York: December 15, 2007 • Load dropped. One worker injured. • Lifting over construction office trailers. • Sling failure – 14K load with a 19K nylon sling. Photo courtesy: Jin Lee (Dec 14, 2007) New York Times
Review of AccidentsMiami: March 25, 2008 • Two Fatalities. • Dropped section of mast while “jumping” crane. • Crashed through house being used for storage. • One deceased was insurance safety inspector.
Review of AccidentsNew York: May 30, 2008 • Two Fatalities. • Failure of a repair weld on turntable. • Jib and cab fall. • Crane was a Kodiak, 1982 or older. Photo courtesy Associated Press, Dima Gavrysh
Canada Tower Crane Accident Review Includes: Near Miss, Property Damage, Injury, and Fatality Accidents Year Number of Incidents 2005 19 2006 15 2007 19 2008** 19 Total 72 * WorksafeBC.com ** Through September of 2008
Canada Tower Crane Accident Type * WorksafeBC.com
What Do We Learn: The 331 Rule Applies Fatal/Catastrophic Injury/Property Damage Near Misses
What Do We Learn?Causes of Accidents • Lack of sufficient crane inspections. • Improper repairs. • Failure to follow manfacturers’ procedures. • Operators, riggers, erectors, crane owners, general contractors. • Failure to follow OSHA/MIOSHA rules. • Operators, riggers, erectors, crane owners, general contractors. • Human error. • Miscalculation. • Forgetting. • Misunderstanding, miscommunication • Failure to act: • If something looks wrong, DO SOMETHING about it!
So is it Over-hyped? • NO!!!! • Accident severity warrants the attention. • Many non-fatal accidents. • Increased use in the future. • Changing nature of use: • self erecting. • World market: use some places is scary! Photo from Dubai
What Can I Do to Help? General Contractors • Know the crane inside and out. • Read the manual. • Meet with the owner, erector, operator. • Learn history of the crane. • Age. • Repairs/modifications/replacement/damage. • Strengths/weaknesses with crane model. • Where/how it has been used. • Previous inspection history. • Third party inspections before erecting. • Qualified erectors.
What Can I Do to Help? General Contractors • Operator certification and more. • Don’t push the schedule. • Process in place to verify correct procedures at every step. • Widen public barriers. • Watch for the near misses.
What Can I Do to Help? Subcontractors on site: • Know crane limits. • Stay on schedule – when plans change accidents happen. • Plan ahead – need to give operator and riggers advance information. • Keep job-site orderly – less visual distraction. • Observe “no lifting over” rules. • Report near misses.
What Can I Do to Help? Everybody: • Stay out from under loads. • No rigging or landing loads unless trained. • Be an inspector: keep an eye on the crane. • Report near misses, even the little things. • Help the operator, rigger, erector: • Remember they are humans who; • WILL make mistakes – forgets, misunderstands. • Get tired, frustrated, distracted. • Do not distract, interrupt their routines. • State things twice, have them repeat it back. • Keep site clean, orderly. • Keep job on schedule.
Sources of Additional Info • ANSI Standard B30.3 – 1996 Construction Tower Cranes • Tower Crane Management: Avoiding Problems Through Proper Selection, Erection, Testing, Maintenance, Operation, and Dismantling (1985) D. E. Dickie; Construction Safety Association of Ontario. • http://towercraneaccidents.blogspot.com/ - Listing of tower crane accidents world wide. • http://www.craneoperator.com/index.htm - Listing of many crane accidents. • http://edocket.access.gpo.gov/2008/pdf/E8-21993.pdf - Proposed new OSHA rule: Cranes and Derricks in Construction. • http://www.liftlink.com/ - Lift and Crane Magazine. • http://www.cpwr.com - Research articles on safety, including McCann (2008) Crane Related Deaths and Injuries in Construction. Center for Construction Research and Training.
Thank You for Attending Michigan Occupational Safety & Health Administration Consultation Education & Training Division 7150 Harris Drive, P.O. Box 30643 Lansing, Michigan 48909-8143 To request consultation, education and training services, call (517) 322-1809 or www.michigan.gov/miosha