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Excavator bucket fall during lifting operation proves fatal
P Colohan and Company Ltd of Croydon has been ordered to pay over £100k in fines and prosecution costs following the death of John Walsh, a construction supervisor, in May 2004. Four excavator buckets were being lifted by crane when one bucket fell causing fatal head injuries.
HSE found that the lifting operation was not properly planned or executed. The company had not provided any specific risk assessments or method statements for this operation and had not taken sufficient steps to ensure that Mr Walsh was qualified to carry out this work.
Investigating Inspector, Simon Hester, said, “the use of cranes for everyday work on construction sites is so common that it is easy to succumb to complacency. But complacency can lead to terrible results.” He added that those ”using cranes should review their management of these high risk lifting operations, particularly the competence of lift supervisors, slingers and banksmen”
Comment: This tragic case highlights the fact that most crane related fatalities and serious incidents arise from poorly planned and executed slinging practices rather than from collapse of the crane or sudden failure of load bearing components.