Crane Collapse

A company (A&P Falmouth) has been fined after a crane collapsed at its site in Falmouth Docks, where more than 250 workers were put at risk.

What happened?

1. The crane was lifting goods between a ship and the dockside, where the driver noticed the jib was descending uncontrollably.

2. The operator managed to move the crane away from the ship, and over the dockside, where it then collapsed, and the jib landed on a cage of acetylene cylinders.

3. Further investigations found that A&P Falmouth had the crane examined by a third-party, however their recommendations regarding defects were not acted upon.

Source: The Health and Safety Executive

What was the result?

· A&P Falmouth pleaded guilty to breaching Section 2(1) and Section 3(1) of the Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974.

· The company was fined £750,000 and ordered to pay £26,792.30 in costs at Truro Crown Court.

Lessons Learned

Please ensure that if you are responsible for crane operations, that regular and proactive maintenance is conducted, as well as the inspections of lifting equipment.

Any defects that have been identified should be acted upon immediately.

All lifting operations should be conducted in accordance with the Lifting Operations and Lifting Equipment Regulations 1998 (LOLER) – further guidance can be found in The HSE’s Approved Code of Practice L113: https://www.hse.gov.uk/pubns/books/l113.htm