The notice follows an accident involving a Falcon crane on Monday 15 January in Liverpool that killed one and seriously injured the tower crane operator, and an accident with a Falcon crane in September that left two dead.
The Notice will affect up to 180 tower cranes which are erected currently on construction sites throughout Great Britain, according to the HSE. Cranes which have already been examined by an independent competent person are not affected by the Notice and can continue in service.
“We are conscious of the severe disruption this will cause but we are sure that the industry will support our action in the interests of the safety of workers and the public,” it said.
“Both incidents are the subject of on-going investigations and it is therefore too early for us to be able to identify the exact causes of either failure,” the HSE said. “Nevertheless, HSE have decided to adopt a precautionary approach and require the company to demonstrate those cranes which have been thoroughly examined by competent persons employed by them, are safe to continue in operation. Any lessons learnt from the investigations will be shared with the industry as soon as possible.”
HSE emphasised that Falcon Crane Hire Ltd has cooperated fully and has agreed the steps it will take to comply with the Notice.
HSE will be working with them closely to ensure the remediation process is carried out as quickly as possible so that the cranes can return to use.
Falcon Crane Hire Ltd are in the process of informing all the construction companies whose sites are affected and are preparing a programme for the examinations.
Prohibition notices are served where there is a risk of “serious personal injury”.
