Crane Related Accidents
January 2000

ATTENTION! The numbers above indicate there is a great need for more training and safety awareness. Anyone having anything to do with cranes should take heed. The majority of the accidents were caused by human error. Translation: smart people doing dumb things.                                      

1/26/00: Crane topples on building project in Loveland, Colorado

Crane tipped over while setting iron on a new building.

Luckily, no one was injured in this accident.                   

1/18/00: Australia 1/12/00: A dogman was fatally injured and his assistant sustained serious injuries when they were assisting with the placement of pre-stressed panels at an Perth, Western Australian building site. Early indications are that the crane jib came into contact with 22Kv overhead lines.

The accident occurred at the corner of KNUTSFORD and WRIGHT streets in BELMONT, a PERTH suburb, on January 12, 2000. The matter was reported in the WEST AUSTRALIAN newspaper the following day and again on Saturday January 15. The basic facts are: An 80 tonne DEMAG all terrain crane was lifting and positioning prestressed concrete panel at a building site for a new tavern, when one of two things occurred. Either the jib or ropes of the crane directly contacted the 22Kv. overhead line, or came close enough for the electricity to arc across the air gap between the jib/ropes and the lines. When this occurred the deceased and another party had hold of tie ropes, and provided a direct current path to earth. The second party sustained severe burns and was hospitalized, however, he now appears on the way to recovery. The crane drivers quick reactions in retracting the jib and lowering it, probably resulted in reducing the injury toll, as there was at least one other party involved in the lift, who escaped without injury. The crane driver was uninjured, however, he is experiencing severe post traumatic stress symptoms.                 

Francisco Javier Mendoza Jr., 24, of Norwalk apparently was at the bottom of an 80-foot parking structure excavation for the $430 million "Hollywood & Highland Development" when he was hit.

Los Angeles fire Capt. Steve Ruda told reporters near the accident site in the 1700 block of North Orange Drive that a crane carrying a number of I-beams was moving overhead when they became dislodged. "One of the beams struck him in the head," Ruda said. Paramedics sent to the site at 8:32 a.m. pronounced Mendoza dead, said Bob Collis of the Los Angeles Fire Department.

Mendoza worked for McCarthy Construction Co., which apparently is a sub-contractor on the TrizecHahn Development Corp. project.

We regret to report that the young operator died Wednesday. | Dead Link |

A worker was operating an extractor pulling a bundle when all of the sudden the crane moved and sent the worker plunging about 30 feet to the ground with a 70,000 pound extractor falling on him. He was sent to a trauma center where they discovered that he had a broken arm, shoulder and pelvis. It is reported that it was not even the crane operator who was operating the crane, but a helper.