Crane accidents are very often killing operators and innocent bystanders. They are very expensive to crane owners, and often also to crane customers and insurance companies. Still we do not want to talk about them; it could potentially hurt customer relations etc.
One of my friends once said: “A mistake becomes a stupidity the second you repeat it.” We have too many stupid accidents in the crane industry, because we still have not learned to share valuable accident information. We must learn from our mistakes, and we in the crane industry have a long way to go.
We crane owners have to overcome “loss of face” and be ready to report and discuss our accidents, allowing our friends in the crane industry, colleagues or competitors to learn from our mistakes or stupidities. It is our responsibility to make the crane industry a safe working place for not only for our employees, but also maybe one day for our children. Only when we are willing to report and discuss our accidents – also in Cranes Today – are we doing our duty to our employees, our customers and the general public.
Søren Jansen
President, BMS
Rødovre, Denmark
