Crane collapse strengthens calls for action

The collapse of a tower crane in Croydon in June has added strength to calls for stronger laws and enforcement by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE).

The crane in Croydon, one of two based on the Haymills site, had been there for eight months and was having six sections inserted into the mast when the incident happened. The complete top of a modern Terex Comedil crane, belonging to Laing O’Rourke’s plant arm Select Plant, fell onto the neighbouring Croydon Park Hotel. The crane operator suffered broken ribs, collarbone and shoulder, and a rigging team were stranded halfway up the tower, taking seven hours to rescue them.

The HSE served a notice on Select Plant Hire, the Kent-based owners of the tower crane, banning them from erecting cranes without properly trained staff.

Comparisons have been made between the Croydon crash and one in Canary Wharf in May 2000 when three workers were killed. The HSE investigation uncovered a number of serious underlying causes for the Canary Wharf disaster including poor site working practices, long hours being worked, and inadequate instruction and training for the workers.

Over the last year there have now been four major incidents involving tower cranes. In September 2006 a Falcon crane collapsed in Battersea killing its driver, Jonathan Cloke, and Michael Alexa, a member of the public. In October 2006 there was a non-fatal incident on a Sir Robert McAlpine’s site in Holborn, London. In January 2007 another Falcon crane collapsed in Liverpool killing Polish site worker Zbigniew Swirzynski and trapping the driver.

Following the Liverpool incident, Falcon Cranes was issued a prohibition notice by the HSE which required inspection of all their cranes. This found 10% of their cranes had serious safety problems, known as category A faults, that had to be addressed before they could be used again.

Another area of concern is the way HSE responds to reports of unsafe findings when machinery and large plant is inspected. The owners of machinery and plant are required to have it inspected and if any major faults are found then HSE have to be informed, known as an adverse insurance report.

The system for dealing with adverse insurance reports was changed three years ago as HSE tried to focus diminishing resources on ‘priority topics’.

Machinery safety was not a ‘priority topic’, and still is not. After such a report an inspection visit by an inspector used to be highly likely but since the change visits have become highly unlikely.

In recent years the boom in construction has seen small family firms becoming big operators and huge numbers of relatively unskilled workers taking on safety critical work. Campaigners have questioned whether the change in HSE procedures, which downplayed the importance of machinery and crane safety, led to or contributed to the increase in serious crane incidents.

Liliana Alexa of the Battersea Crane Disaster Action Group (BCDAG) and mother of Michael, has been busy drawing people’s attention to the issue of crane safety. Outside the Croydon site Liliana said: “I was very angry when I heard another crane had collapsed in Croydon. Why is this happening? Even after my son’s death another crane collapsed in Liverpool, killing someone. The emphasis seems to be on launching investigations after accidents and not enough is being done to prevent these accidents from happening in the first place.”

These comments reflect the campaign aims of BCDAG who want more HSE inspectors out in the field and for them to have a more vigorous enforcement policy. BCDAG are also calling for stronger laws covering cranes.

They are likely to get their chance as they have been invited to attend an event organized by the Strategic Forum for Construction (SFfC), a cross industry/government body who will be discussing what can be done to prevent similar incidents in the future.

Crane safety group award

Battersea Crane Disaster Action Group (BCDAG) received an award for their campaign activities following the loss of the lives of Jonathan Cloke and Michael Alexa in the crane collapse on 26th September 2006. BCDAG have involved the local community, local unions, campaign groups, councillors and MPs in their campaign for safer cranes and construction sites. The ‘Alan’ award was given in the name of much missed campaigner Alan Dalton at this year’s Hazards Conference in Manchester in July. Campaigner Eve Barker was Alan’s partner.

For information on other health and safety issues visit the London Hazards Centre web site at: www.lhc.org.uk

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