20/3/2015

Chia Chee Yong, Senior Specialist

Engineering safety Branch, OSH Specialist Department

A Great Workforce A Great Workplace

Presentation Scope

Crane-related Accident Statistics

A

Study of Past Crane Accidents

B

Targeted Operation
C

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Crane-related Accident Statistics

Crane-related accident statistics showed a downward trending since 2010

Crane-related Fatalities- Crane-related Dangerous

2009 to 2015 Occurrences 2009 to 2015
10
10
30 26
8 25
21 20
6
20 18 19
6 5 5
4 15 12
4
2 10
2 7
5
0 0 0
2009
2010
2011
2012
2013
2014
2015

*Figures accurate up to 10 Mar 2015

Crane-related Accident Statistics

Crane-related WSH statistics in 2015
Crane-related DOs (Monthly) 2013 - 2015
5
Crane-related DOs (Monthly) 2011 - 2014
4
3 2013
2 2014
2015
1
0
Jan Feb Mar Apr May June Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec
Crane-related DOsDOs
(Cumulative) 2011 - 2014 19
20 Crane-related (Cumulative) 2013 - 2015
14 15
15 12
11 11 12 12
8 9
10 6 7 7 2013
7 4 4 5
5 2 2 3
2 2014
0 0 3 2015
0 1
Jan Feb Mar Apr May June Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec

*Figures accurate up to 10 Mar 2015

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Crane-related Accident Statistics

Dangerous Occurrences by Types of Industry
20

18 Construction sector remains as the main

3
3 contributor to the number of Dangerous
16 Occurrences
2
1
14
2
12 Other Workplaces
2
Manufacturing
10 1
Marine
8 2
Construction
14
6 12 2
0
1
4 7
2 4

0
2012 2013 2014 2015

19 January 2015 25 February 2015

Crawler Crane Fly-jib Mobile Crane Boom Failure @ Pasir Panjang
Failure@Pandan Road Terminal

24 February 2015
Crawler Tower Crane Collapse
@Pheng Geck Avenue

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03 March 2015
Tower Crane Jib
Failure @
MARINA WAY

03 March 2015
Mobile Crane
Collapse @ Punggol
Walk

09 March
2015
Collapse of
Mobile Crane
@ Sunview
Drive

04 March 2015
Ship Crane Jib
Failure @
Jurong Island
Waterway

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Past Tower Crane

Case
Disclaimer:
The purpose of this presentation is solely for education, discussion and knowledge sharing.

Tower Crane Over-Derrick

Construction
On July 2013, the maintenance team was carrying the replacement of the tower
cranes luffing buffer. During the removal of the existing luffing buffer, the boom
suddenly flip backwards. The boom over-derricked and the boom movement was
finally arrested by the A-frame. There were no injuries as a result of this incident.

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Tower Crane Over-Derrick

With the removal of the faulty luffing buffer,

there was no mechanism to prevent
possible over-derricking of the boom,
especially when the boom was positioned at
such a large boom angle of between 80 and
85 so as to facilitate the work activity.

Tower Crane Over-Hoist

Construction
On Aug 2013, the crane operator was lifting a 1.5-ton pre-cast parapet panel
from the storage area at ground level. After the load has cleared the 13th storey of the
building, he released the hoisting lever and observed that the load continued hoisting
but did not stop. The hook block with the load then struck the trolley above causing the
wire rope to snap. This in turn caused the hook block and load to fall to the ground
below.

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Tower Crane Over-Hoist

Tower Crane Over-Hoist

Construction
On Oct 2013, the crane operator was hoisting up the hook block after the rigger has
unrigged a formwork platform from the hook block. Suddenly the hoisting wire rope
snapped and the hoist block fell off. It landed on a table formwork surface.
At the point, the tower crane was not hoisting any load. There were no injuries.

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JAN 2012

17 Case 1- Mobile Crane Collapse at Worksite

Tower Crane-Fire Case

Construction
The Tower Crane was moving into position to lift 4 sections of mast as part of
dismantling procedures.
Operator smelled smoke coming from the electrical panel back his seat. He
quickly evacuated from the crane cabin

Tower Crane Over-Derrick

Construction
On February 2014 at about 1315hrs, The operator was lifting a stack of metal platforms
from the ground onto the loading platform of the building under construction. Upon
reaching the loading platform, he stopped the crane. But the boom continued to be
raised up and could not be stopped. Finally the operator hit the emergency stop button
but the boom had already gone over and rested against the A-frame behind him. The
load was found suspended near the counter-weight of the tower crane. No one was
injured in the incident.

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Common Observation

1. Insufficient Training

2. Failure to maintain and ensure tower cranes is in good working order Safety
Devices

3. Failure to establish and implement a proper safe work procedure

4. Crane Operator Behaviour

5. No proper housekeeping

Targeted
Operations
Operations GoldCrest

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Operation GoldCrest 2014

Focus Area : Crane Safety at Construction Worksites
Operation Period : 1 July to 31 August 2014
Operation GoldCrest is a Special Enforcement Exercise
conducted by the Occupational Safety and Health Division
of MOM
Focus on the safety of lifting operations involving cranes at
construction worksites.
The 2-month exercise conducted from 1 July to 31 August
2014 covering 80 worksites.

Operation GoldCrest 2014

Findings Failure to Maintain Cranes

Breakages on wire opens Severely corroded wire ropes Kinked wire ropes
Damaged, Corroded and Kinked Wire Ropes

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Operation GoldCrest 2014

Findings Failure to Maintain Cranes

Faulty anti-two block Load Radius Indicator reading

not tally with the Load Chart
Faulty Safety Devices of Cranes

Operation GoldCrest 2014

Findings Failure to Maintain Cranes

Keys for activation of Faulty Off Crane Operator had to leave the cabin to
cranes engine Switch turn off engine by means of pulling this
lever located at the crane chassis
Operator left the cabin while crane was still running

Other Findings

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Operation GoldCrest 2014

Findings Failure to Establish and Implement Lifting Plan
Lifting plan not addressing all loads
to be lifted
Generic weight of load provided
SWL of Crane not indicated
Working radius for lifting
operations not indicated
Rigging method not included
Many found to have established
the lifting plan still failed in its
implementation
Weight of load
not identified
Lapses in Lifting plan Implementation

Operation GoldCrest 2014

Findings Lifting Gear

Lifting Gears which validity expired/ were

Defective Lifting Gears found not examined by an Authorised Examiner
Using Defective Lifting Gears (LG) or LG that without AE Examination

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Operation GoldCrest 2014

Findings Failure to Implement Proper Permit-to-Work

The Permit-to-work failed to detect or ensure

Pre-filled checklist for
daily inspection of crane by crane operator
Permit-to-Work
Lapses in Implementation of Permit-To-Work

Operation GoldCrest 2014

Other Findings

i. Lifting supervisor fined for riding on a hoisted pile

test block.
ii. Crane Operator was fined for engaging in the
Crane Operator failed to extend out- unsafe act.
riggers of the lorry crane during the iii. Project Manager fined for failure exercise
lifting operation diligence to prevent the unsafe act.

Examples of Individual's Fined

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Operation GoldCrest 2014

Top 5 Contraventions Uncovered

1. Failure to maintain cranes in good working order

2. Failure to establish and implement a proper Lifting Plan
3. Using defective Lifting Gears or Lifting Gears that were not
examined by Authorised Examiners
4. Failure to implement a proper Permit-To-Work System
5. No indication of Safe Working Load and Lifting Machine
Registration Number on the Lifting Machine

Operation Heron

A Great Workforce A Great Workplace

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Operation Heron
Ops Heron
Special Operations on Crane Safety

Targeted inspections at worksites

Safe use of cranes
Safe conduct of lifting operations
Functionality of safety devices in cranes

Inspection covering implementation of the following

Permit-to-work and safe work procedures
Risk assessment
Lifting plans
Maintenance regime
Condition of lifting equipment
Appointment of certified lifting personnel

THANK YOU

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