The State Industrial Supervision informs about incidents related to the loss of stability and overturning of lifting cranes in 2024

Incidents related to loss of stability and overturning of lifting cranes in 2024.

            This year, the State Industrial Supervision Service received information about four incidents involving self-propelled boom lifting cranes (hereinafter referred to as mobile cranes) related to their loss of stability and overturning.

Analysis of technical investigation materials shows that the main cause of the aforementioned incidents was the "human factor," manifested in the violation of industrial safety requirements for the installation of mobile cranes, performing work with safety devices disabled, and the lack of control by persons responsible for the safe operation of mobile cranes over the actions of crane operators.

14.08.2024, during loading operations, a mobile crane model КС-55727-С-12 (manufactured in 2022) overturned.

The cause of the crane's loss of stability (overturning) with subsequent damage to the boom metal structures was the ground subsidence under the front right outrigger. At the location where the lifting crane was installed, in accordance with the work execution project and the construction organization project for underground utilities, no other underground structures were indicated.

According to the investigation materials, the incident has no causes related to the technical condition of the lifting crane or the lifting accessories used during lifting operations.

20.09.2024, during reconstruction work on heating networks, a mobile crane model КС-55713-1К-4 (manufactured in 2023) overturned.

According to the investigation materials, during the work of lifting pre-insulated pipes 12 m in length, the mobile crane lost stability as a result of the collapse of the heating chamber cover and the subsidence of the front right outrigger into the heating chamber. Damage to the crane's metal structures occurred as a result of its fall.

No technical causes related to the technical condition of the lifting crane were identified for the incident.

The organizational cause of the incident was a violation of the procedure for work with a lifting crane, which manifested as a failure to ensure proper control over the crane operator's compliance with safe work instructions (operation manuals), requirements of the work execution project, and technological regulations regarding the prohibition of setting up the crane to operate on the concrete slab of a heat chamber whose reliability had not been verified.

During the investigation, by studying the results of the parameter recorder data decryption, it was established that the crane operator systematically violated safe work requirements, regularly operating with a crane's nominal lifting capacity exceeded by up to 200%, after having disabled the load limiter.

On 15.10.2024, a mobile crane КС-55713-6К-3 (manufactured in 2012) overturned at the construction site of the "R-99 Baranovichi – Volkovysk – Pogranichny – Grodno Automobile Road".

During the overturning of the lifting crane, the metal structures of the crane boom and the protective railing of the bridge were damaged. The railing fell onto a route taxi moving under the overpass. There were no casualties.

According to the report, the overturning of the lifting crane is not related to its technical condition. The causes of instability were: lifting a load with a mass exceeding the nominal lifting capacity at maximum boom outreach; operating the lifting crane with the outrigger beams not extended; lack of control by the person responsible for safe work execution over the correct setup of the lifting crane.