WorkSafe WA Commissioner Nina Lyhne said today the cranes were a relatively new innovation, having only been seen in WA over the past few years.
“WorkSafe inspectors estimate that there are about 15 of these mini crawler cranes in WA at the moment, but we believe that more are due to be delivered soon,” Lyhne said.
“They are becoming more popular because they are small and manoeuvrable, but our inspectors share Eastern States concerns that they can be unstable if used incorrectly.
“If not set up and operated according to the manufacturer’s instructions, they can overturn with very little warning.
“We have been told that there have been up to 15 incidents in other states in which these mini crawler cranes have overturned, and we need to warn users in WA to take every precaution with their use.”
“In the most recent incident in Victoria, a dogman was suspended from one of these mini cranes in a workbox around four metres off the ground,” Lyhne said. “The crane overturned, with the workbox containing the man left hanging from the boom. Fortunately the box was not dislodged from the boom, or the result could have been tragic.”
The following points should be noted to minimise the risks of operating these small cranes:
* The mini crane operator must have the appropriate licence or certificate of competency to operate the crane;
* The operator must have adequate training or instruction on how to set up and safely use these specific cranes, irrespective of experience with larger cranes, as well as adequate supervision;
* The crane must be set up and operated according to the manufacturer’s instructions for the specific model, taking site-specific factors into consideration;
* Mini crawler cranes should not be used to pick and carry items to other locations unless they are designed to do so because this increases the risk of turnover; and
* Where complex jobs are being undertaken, a lift plan should be developed and adhered to.
