Hire company Hewden Tower Cranes was served with an ‘improvement notice’ by the UK government’s Health & Safety Executive (HSE) on 14 June as part of its investigations into the fatal accident at London’s Canary Wharf, reported in last month’s Cranes Today.
Two erectors and an operator were killed on 21 May when the top of a Wolffkran 320 BF luffing jib tower crane collapsed and fell more than 100m while additional tower elements were being added using external climbing equipment. Two other erectors only survived by escaping into the tower.
The improvement notice gave Hewden until 6 July to inspect all its Wolffkran external climbing equipment. This action is a precautionary measure. The HSE said that it “wishes to make it clear that the notice should not be seen as implying blame on the company for the accident”.
In response to the accident it is also approaching other companies to check that any external climbing equipment they have is also being checked throroughly, in accordance with Regulation 9 of the Lifting Operations & Lifting Equipment Regulations (LOLER) 1998.
The HSE is also planning a formal review of climbing arrangements for other types of tower crane and the limited accident history for climbing-type tower cranes. The review will consider the development of standards and guidance on safe practice for this type of work in the construction industry, the HSE said.
Hewden has cooperated fully with the investigation and has set up a demonstration of its equipment for HSE officials at its own yard in Yorkshire.
Meanwhile, at time of going to press, investigations were continuing by the US Occupational Safety & Health Administration (OSHA) into the death of a service technician who fell from a tower crane being raised in Chicago.
