Tuesday, February 20, 2024

Tumbling Tower Cranes

Members are reminded to be vigilant of the safety hazards that tower cranes can pose—from load loss to collapse

Tower cranes are a fixture of our city skylines. With a push to increase the housing supply, while also constraining urban sprawl, hundreds of cranes are in use every day—with 350 in use in BC alone.

Recently, crane safety has come under scrutiny in BC after a spat of incidents and deaths. In the space of six weeks this year, there were four incidents, one of which ended in a fatality.

Each incident was unique. In one case, the crane fell from the structure, while in another it snaped off. In the case of the February 21 death of Yuridia Flores, the crane lost its load, which fell onto Yuridia as she was working below.

In the past five years in BC, there have been 22 incidents involving tower cranes, including a catastrophic collapse that claimed the lives of five workers in Kelowna in 2021. That incident has led the RCMP to ask BC prosecutors to lay charges of criminal negligence causing death.

As we rely more and more on cranes, members are reminded to be vigilant of the safety hazards that they can pose—from load loss to collapse. Always ensure your various safety tickets are up to date, including your hoisting and rigging certificates, and if you feel something is unsafe, please speak up.

Sources: globalnews.ca, vancouversun.com, thesafetymag.com

Tumbling Tower Cranes

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