This session will examine several crane incidents in-depth and identify the root cause of each — which often times is not the originally reported cause. Mr. Meissner will also share what additional safety measures should be implemented to help prevent future similar incidents on your own jobsites. Speaker: Klaus Meissner, Terex Crane

1. Uncovering the Root Causes of Crane Accidents
Klaus Meissner
Director Product Strategy, Terex Cranes

2. Root Causes of Accidents with Mobile Cranes
• Why talking about Root Causes?
• Technical Topics vs Behavioral Issues
• More Sensors = higher Level of Safety?
• Is “Hope” really a Business Principle?

3. 1st Accident by overload,
2nd Accident (this picture)
due to improper repair

4. Underestimating the wind load
on “light loads with large sail
areas”

5. Austria – crane out of service, wind from
the front, excessive damage, insurance (?)

6. Sweden, broken Slings, damages only

7. Norway, unknown load, outrigger forces
exceed ground bearing capacity

8. USA, 4 Cranes lifting one load, CoG
unclear, overloading one crane

9. Traveling at night on soft ground,
Derrick Ballast grounded, crane
pulled over, damages

10. Sweden, incorrect maintenance of
hoist rope, no test lift during man
basket use, 2 fatalities

11. The Netherlands, wind on load,
boom pushed back, damages

12. Crane Accidents – Root Causes

13. Crane Accidents – Root Causes

14. Crane Accidents – Root Causes

15. Crane Accidents – Root Causes

16. Proper Repair and Maintenance

17. Mexico, insufficient inspection and
maintenance, 1 fatality

18. /IKEA instruction manual/
Crane Accidents – Correct Assembly

19. … is such incident avoidable by
advanced controls systems?

22. More Sensors
=
higher Level of
Safety?
… how much control do we
want/accept?

23. Risk
=
Likelihood of Occurrence
multiplied by
Amount of Exposure/Cost

24. Men Machine Interface – The human factor

25. Crane Accidents – Root Causes

26. UK, RCL setting wrong, damage only

27. Italy, RCL setting wrong, 1 fatality

28. Failure to Plan
is
Planning for Failure

29. Spain, change of plan, grounded SL-
CWT pulls mast over, 1 fatality

30. PLAN: Develop a Plan
DO: Act according to Plan
CHECK: Are Conditions as per Plan?
ACT: …Take Action if needed

31. 3.18 mobile crane
• self powered jib crane capable of traveling loaded or
unloaded without the need for fixed runways and
relying on gravity for stability. /…/
• NOTE 1 Mobile cranes can operate on tires,
crawlers or with other mobile arrangements. In fixed
positions they can be supported by outriggers or other
accessories increasing their stability. /…/

32. Gravity for Safety

33. Ground & Center of Gravity
Angle of Repose

34. Symmetrical Loading Symmetrical Loading
to the Front
Non-Symmetrical Loading
Top View on Crawler car
Body,
Crawlers turned to better
indicate Shape
Symbol indicates
Centre of Gravity
Symbols indicate
Ground Pressure
under Crawler

35. Traveling on site, unsymmetrical setup
of crawlers, damages

36. Traveling onto mats, shifting load
distribution, moving CoG, damages

37. Traveling on site, high loading, ground
gives way, 5 fatalities

39. 39