Lifting operations involve risks requiring mitigation

A lifting operation that was not fully risk reduced ended badly when a man was left with back injuries and a broken leg after an accident on Teesside involving an electro-magnetic crane.

Corus UK Ltd, trading as Corus Tubes in Hartlepool, was fined a total of £15,000 with costs of £6,248 at Hartlepool Magistrates' Court after admitting a breach of S.2(1) of the Health and Safety Work etc. Act 1974 following the incident on 27th April 2007.

By way of warning to users of such equipment, an HSE inspector commented: "The crane operator was nearby using a remote control to lift a raft of steel beams, the longest one, some 16m in length and weighing about 1.7 tonnes, using a magnetic crane attachment.

A beam snagged on the side of the building and fell from the crane, hitting the operator. He suffered severe injuries to his back and leg which left him unable to work for months.

Electro-magnetic attachments to cranes can reduce certain risks, such as having to climb onto loads to sling and release the load. However, these magnets can drop their loads for a number of reasons and it is important that no one is anywhere near the suspended load until it is in a safe position. In this case the combination of the length of the steel beams and the site layout meant there was no safe operating position.

The problems with magnetic cranes were well know at Corus and an alternative way of working should have been found to protect both the operator and other workers in the area."

Article created by Editor. (info@safetynetscotland.co.uk)