FACTS

1. Cranes are usually the largest piece of equipment on any industrial site. More accidents are caused by cranes than any other piece of equipment.
2. Cranes buckle or collapse from excess weight. Each crane comes with strict weight limits, but construction supervisors can either ignore these limits or remain ignorant of them, which leads to a crane accident.
3. Crane accidents are tied to poor training or rushed construction jobs.
4. Major causes of crane accidents are:

• Use of crane for purposes outside of the manufacturer’s specifications.
• Improper crane selection.
• Poor weather.
• Improper crane set up.
• Falling debris or other hazardous conditions surrounding the crane.

STATS

Crane accidents are often the direct result of negligence of the crane-related professional or the lack of adequate operator training or experience.

• 90% of crane accidents occur due to human error.
• 80% of all crane upsets are attributed to operators exceeding the crane’s operational capacity.
• 54% of these incidents are the result of swinging the boom or making a lift without the outriggers full extended.
• 45% of all mobile crane accidents involve electrocution that results from the crane contacting a power source during operation.
• 40% the victims were struck by an object (such as an uncontrolled hoisted load or crane part).
• 50% of U.S. crane accidents that had injuries in 2009 resulted in fatalities.
• 80 lift and material handling equipment workers are killed each year, on average.