Incidents related to loss of stability and overturning of lifting cranes in 2024.
In the current year, the State Industrial Supervision Service received information about four incidents involving mobile boom cranes (hereinafter referred to as mobile cranes) related to loss of stability and overturning.
Analysis of the 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, performance of work with safety devices disabled, and 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 loss of stability (overturning) of the crane, followed by damage to the boom metal structures, was the ground subsidence under the front right outrigger of the crane. At the installation site of the lifting crane, 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 lifting of pre-insulated pipes 12 m in length, the automobile crane lost stability as a result of the collapse of the thermal chamber's ceiling and the failure of the crane's right front outrigger into the thermal chamber. Damage to the crane's metal structures occurred as a result of its fall.
No technical causes of the incident related to the technical condition of the lifting crane were identified.
The organizational cause of the incident was a violation of the work procedure when using the lifting crane, which manifested in the failure to ensure proper control over the crane operator's compliance with safety work instructions (operating instructions), work project requirements, and technological regulations regarding the prohibition of setting up the crane to operate on a concrete ceiling of a thermal chamber whose reliability had not been verified.
During the investigation, by studying the results of the parameter recorder data decoding, it was established that the crane operator systematically violated safety work requirements, regularly operating with a crane's nominal lifting capacity exceeded by up to 200%, after disabling the load limiter.
On 15.10.2024, the automobile crane KS-55713-6K-3 (manufactured in 2012) overturned at the construction site of the "R-99 Baranovichi – Volkovysk – Pogranichny – Grodno Automobile Road."
Upon the overturning of the lifting crane, 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 reasons for the loss of stability were: lifting a load with a mass exceeding the nominal lifting capacity at maximum boom reach; operation of the lifting crane with retracted outrigger beams; lack of control by the person responsible for the safe execution of work over the correct installation of the lifting crane.