HSE orders Falcon to pull cranes for checks

News | HSW
01.03.2007

A crane-hire company has been ordered to take 180 cranes out of service at construction sites across the country after two of its cranes collapsed, killing three people. The HSE served a prohibition notice on Falcon Crane Hire on 17 January, ordering it to withdraw all tower cranes that have not been examined by an independent competent person.

The move followed the separate collapse of two cranes supplied by Falcon at sites in Battersea and Liverpool in the space of just four months. The Battersea accident on 26 September 2006 killed the crane driver and a member of the public cleaning his car near the Barratt Homes site. On 15 January, a second collapse in Liverpool city centre killed a worker and seriously injured the crane driver after the crane's cab dropped 40m into a building.

The HSE, which is investigating both incidents, says it is too early to identify the exact causes. But, adopting a precautionary approach, it wants to see Falcon demonstrate that where its cranes have been examined by competent employees, they are safe to continue in operation. Cranes already examined by an independent person are excluded from the notice.

Under the Lifting Operations and Lifting Equipment Regulations 1998 (LOLER), a competent person must examine any tower crane thoroughly on a periodic basis. The competent person can be an employee but HSE guidance recommends that if firms use in-house examiners, they must have authority and independence.

Falcon has cooperated with the HSE throughout. The process agreed allows cranes to return to site as soon as they have been independently checked and approved. An HSE spokesperson told HSW that a "significant number" have already been checked and have the necessary paperwork, others are awaiting paperwork, and the majority of the rest have a date for examination pencilled in. She emphasised that for the HSE "it is not about the time taken but that it is done properly". The HSE is also reviewing the examination paperwork to check for any trends. Nothing of concern has come through so far but if it does the HSE will alert the industry. The executive has already issued a technical alert  on the use of tower cranes (www.hse.gov.uk/construction/pdf/towercranes.pdf), specifically advising operators to ensure the high-tensile bolt connections are up to the relevant standards (BS EN ISO 898-1 and BS EN 20898-2), correctly tensioned and inspected regularly.

Construction union UCATT's general secretary Alan Ritchie welcomed the HSE's "prompt" action. "It is clear to all that something is seriously wrong when you have two tragedies so close together and involving the same equipment," he said. A UCATT spokesperson told HSW that a campaign is building for a more rigorous crane erection, inspection and training regime. On 22 January, MP Martin Linton tabled an early day motion in the House of Commons supporting calls for a public register of checks to cranes and construction equipment, and a review of crane legislation.