Crane Accident

A lattice crane boom came crashing down across a busy road in the centre of Abu Dhabi, UAE this morning blocking traffic for several hours. Local reports say that the crane was working on a demolition site, using a demolition ball, although this has not been fully confirmed.

A fatal crane accident at BHP Billiton’s iron ore operations at Port Hedland in Western Australia’s Pilbara region has suspended operations at the facility while an investigation is carried out.

A large Rough Terrain crane working on an overpass in Tacoma, Washington tipped over yesterday bringing work to a halt. The crane, a 100 ton (91 tonne) three axle Link Belt TC80100 owned by Mid Mountain contractors of Kirkland Washington, was working on the laying of the last segment of track for the Sounder commuter rail extension that will run from Tacoma to Lakewood in 2012.

A tower crane operator died yesterday at London’s Olympic Village site in Stamford while climbing down from his cab. The man, said to be 65, was discovered in the tower of his crane, some feedback from the site suggests that he may have slipped and fell causing serious head injuries.

A crane operator is in an intensive-care hospital unit after receiving an electric shock, when the boom of his crane contacted overhead power lines in Toronto, Canada yesterday.

The man, said to be in his 30s, sustained second-degree burns to his arms but his injuries are not life-threatening.

The aircraft, which has welcomed visitors to the Alameda Naval Station for 32 years, had been subject to a two year restoration project and was being placed back on its pedestal in time for July 4th celebrations. No one was injured but the damage could take another two years to put right. The crane, a Grove four axle truck crane was working for contractor NRC Environmental. A similar sized truck crane was called out from Bigge to rescue both the crane and the stricken aircraft which was returned to the hanger.

Crews were cleaning up a construction site after a crane overturned in north Houston on Friday. Officials said the crane, which was being used for a Metro Rail project, was picking up re-barb at 1650 North Main near Hogan when it toppled over around10:45 a.m.

This week one machine has dropped two seven tonne transmission towers alone. Early on Tuesday morning the Sun Bird Erickson air crane helicopter placing a tower close to a highway near San Diego in California, dropped a the load from a height of more than 70 metres. We understand that the highway was closed for the lift and no one was injured.

A crane crashed into a house in Shoreview, Minnesota – near St Paul -yesterday after it tipped while lifting a large hot tub into the back yard. The crane, a four axle Grove truck crane owned and operated by local crane rental company Truck Crane Service Company of Eagan, Minnesota. The crane was properly set up with outrigger mats in place and all outriggers fully extended.

A female crane operator was injured yesterday, suffering two broken arms and a broken leg, after the crawler crane she was operating – a vintage Link Belt- tipped over sideways trapping her in the cab.