Health and Safety
Executive / Commission
Press releases
E003:07 19 January 2007
This week the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) served a Prohibition Notice on Falcon Crane Hire Ltd of Shipdam, Norfolk which required them, with immediate effect, to take out of service all tower cranes in their fleet which have not been subject to a thorough examination by an independent competent person.
HSE has taken this action following the collapse of two of the company’s tower cranes in less than four months at sites in Battersea ( London) and Liverpool. Both incidents are the subject of on-going investigations and it is therefore too early for us to be able to identify the exact causes of either failure. Nevertheless, HSE have decided to adopt a precautionary approach and require the company to demonstrate those cranes which have been thoroughly examined by competent persons employed by them, are safe to continue in operation. Any lessons learnt from the investigations will be shared with the industry as soon as possible.
The Notice will affect up to 180 tower cranes which are erected currently on construction sites throughout Great Britain. Cranes which have already been examined by an independent competent person are not affected by the Notice and can continue in service. We are conscious of the severe disruption this will cause but we are sure that the industry will support our action in the interests of the safety of workers and the public.
HSE would like to emphasise that Falcon Crane Hire Ltd has cooperated fully and have agreed the steps they will take to comply with the Notice. HSE will be working with them closely to ensure the remediation process is carried out as quickly as possible so that the cranes can return to use. Falcon Crane Hire Ltd are in the process of informing all the construction companies whose sites are affected and are preparing a programme for the examinations.
HSE issued a safety alert on 17 October 2006 following the incident at Battersea which can be seen on our website at: www.hse.gov.uk/construction/pdf/towercranes.pdf. HSE re- issued the same alert on 16 January 2007 following the incident in Liverpool.
1. Under Section 22 of the Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974 HSE inspectors have the power to serve Prohibition Notices where they are of the opinion there is a risk of serious personal injury. A Prohibition Notice specifies the activities which must be stopped and may set out how the matters giving rise to the Notice should be remedied.
2. At around 17:50 on Tuesday 26 September 2006 on a Barratts Home construction site at Thessaly Road, Battersea, London SW8, there was a tower crane collapse. Two people were killed as a result of the incident - the driver of the crane and a member of the public. The crane involved is owned and was provided by Falcon Crane Hire Ltd and is a BPR saddle jib tower, Model 222.
3. At approximately 16:10 on Monday 15 January 2007 on a David McClean Ltd construction site at Colquitt Street, Liverpool city centre, a JASO J138PA luffing jib crane on hire from Falcon Crane Hire Ltd collapsed. As a result of the incident one person was killed and the driver of the crane was seriously injured .
4. HSE served a Prohibition Notice on Falcon Crane Hire Ltd on 17 January 2007 which required them, with immediate effect, to take out of service all tower cranes in their fleet which have not been subject to a thorough examination by an independent competent person.
5. The Lifting Operations and Lifting Equipment Regulations 1998 require tower cranes to be thoroughly examined by a competent person on a periodic basis (6 or 12 months depending if they are used to lift persons) or in accordance with a written scheme of examination. The Regulations do not prohibit the competent person being a member of the company operating the crane. However, in guidance issued by HSE to accompany the Regulations it is recommended that if in-house examiners are employed they should have genuine authority and independence. Another means of ensuring independence is to use the services of an external body.
Jennifer McGilvray 020 7717 6903
Out of hours 020 7928 8382
HSE's InfoLine 0845 3450055
Caerphilly Business Park, Caerphilly CF83 3GG
HSE information and news releases can be accessed on the Internet www.hse.gov.uk/