The greatest dangers in crane construction accidents are height and speed

Constructions accidents involving cranes can happen on land and offshore (on oil platforms, for example) and often end in serious personal injuries, such as disabilities, and fatalities.

The greatest danger with crane construction accidents is that they can happen extremely quickly and if the crane is carrying material that is dropped, anything underneath it will be crushed.

Furthermore, if the crane is carrying anything that could be dangerous when smashed, particularly when lifting material out of a boat on to an oil platform or in a mine, it could cause an explosion or a spillage. Hazardous gases could also be released that could kill people nearby and pollute land or water.

Over 90 % of crane construction accidents happen as a result of human error with rigging being the most common cause of human error crane accidents. Other factors affecting crane construction accidents include falling objects, components of the crane that drop off, defective machinery, overloading, overturning and cranes coming into contact with power lines.

There are cranes in operation in the construction, mining, wind and maritime industries - to name a few. Many personal injuries sustained from crane accidents can be avoided if crane operators are properly trained, including having pass crane exams, and adhere to health and safety steps through every stage of a crane manoeuvre.

Experts estimate that following these steps could dramatically reduce the number of work accident claims resulting from incidents involving cranes.

The latest UK crane developments
Keeping the area beneath the crane clear is as essential as crane operation in the air and good ground- level management is extremely important. Huge advances have taken place in the last thirty years relating to crane operation and including crane design, the ability to analyse lift capacity to weight ratio and increased control and ground safety.

The most important new development is the SLI (Safe Load Indicator), more commonly known as the rated capacity indicator. The Construction (Lifting Operations) Regulations, established in 1961, required all UK cranes with a lifting capacity of over one tonne to be fitted with an 'approved' SLI and radius indicator.

More crane information can be read at www.cranestodaymagazine.com. This publication has news and the latest industry developments (such as challenges faced by the use of cranes in the wind industry). It also covers buying, using and servicing mobile cranes, tower cranes, crawler cranes, loader cranes, strand jacks and attachments, ancillary equipment, components and other crane issues.

Safety procedures that can be followed to avoid crane construction accidents claims:

1. All crane operators should be trained and pass crane operating exams
2. All cranes should be properly maintained
3. A lift angle, weight, and height should be determined before a lift takes place
4. No weight should be carried out of the crane's lifting ability
5. Workers must use visual signals to communicate information about a lift.

Crane training and online information
The United Crane Operators Association at www.lifting-world.co.uk aims to assist with the training of new operators within the industry and promote safe working practices. Virtual training environments use 3-D training models with simulated scenarios to show loading motion and different lift conditions.

A dedicated website to crane construction accidents can be found at www.craneaccidents.com which has crane accident reports, photos of crane accidents and more than 700 pages of information. Various videos are also available for crane training online and from some libraries.

Making a personal injury compensation claim following a construction accident
Cranes are used every day around the UK and are crucial in large-scale operations where machinery is required to work beyond physical human capabilities.

The height and weight of a crane and the amount of material that is often required to be moved means that the scale of destruction and personal injures as a result of construction accidents involving cranes is often grave.

If you have been involved in an accident involving a crane and have suffered a personal injury as a result, you could be able to make a no win, no fee claim and use the compensation allowance to put you on the road to recovery.

Call us now on 0800 10 757 95 and we will talk you through the construction accident claim process and explain what steps to take next and, if you think you have valid grounds for a work accident claim, pair you with an expert personal injury solicitor.