Industrial Crane Accidents Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Industrial Crane Accidents - Essay Example To date, many reports relay crane-related accidents that could have been avoided if safety regulations were carefully considered. Industrial crane operators are required to apply strict safety procedures to carry out their job properly. Several regulations have been existent internationally to prevent accidents and hazards in every industrial workplace. Nevertheless, the current literature reflects a number of accidents related to the use of cranes in many workplaces around the world, both on land and offshore (i.e., gas mining platforms). Therefore, it is important to consider how such accidents have occurred in order to promote safety in the industrial workplace. Industrial crane accidents can happen anytime if workers practice negligence. The complex and heavy structure of the crane implies the high demand for safety during operation in the workplace. Relevantly, only certified workmen can handle industrial cranes, thus workers who would like to be crane operators should undergo t he specific training for operating cranes and other similar machines. A simple negligence on the part of the operator could lead to accidents, and later on, to permanent disability and even deaths. In such cases, the company will be held liable for the loss, not just the operator or the driver concerned could lose his job if the results of the investigations suggest negligence on his part. However, crane accidents have more bearing on the company because the company has the sole liability in such cases. A number of cases of negligence can be found in the literature, pointing either to the company or the crew as the one at fault. For instance, Jerner (2010) reports about a crane accident in which the crane boom separated from the mobile carrier. Based on the investigations, the turntable bearing did not function properly because it was improperly placed and showed signs of being worn out. Notably, the first problem that reveals improper placing of the turntable could be attributed to the staff, whereas the second cause, which is the worn out characteristics of the turntable implies the liability of the company. The use of old and worn out turntable can be attributed to the company’s cost-cutting measures. In another accident report by Jerner (2010), the same problem of substandard crane parts was detected as the bolts of the boom attached to three crane boom sections broke, thus separating the attached sections from the main boom. The accident occurred during operation as the crane was used to remove a water tank crane boom from a water tower. Although there were no casualties, the accident expectedly caused delay in the company’s operation. In a report made by the Iowa FACE Program (n.d.) of a 1997 accident that occurred in a wind farm in Iowa, the author noted the shifting of the tower-type crane whose outrigger pad slid to the northwest, leading to the death of the 36-year–old crane operator. The crew was about to install generators on a windmill when the accident happened. The owner of the mill, who was situated perpendicular to the windmill and saw the whole accident reported that the crane was tilted a little before the accident happened.