04.04.2014

Fatal crawler crane overturn

A crawler crane operator has died today at the Great Lakes Works of U.S.Steel in Ecorse, Michigan, after he was thrown from his crane cab after it upended.

U.S. Steel spokesman Courtney Boone issued a statement stating that the incident involved a contractor’s employee. “No other injuries have been reported and no additional details are available at this time. The contractor, Connelly Crane, is in the process of notifying the family. We offer our sincere condolences”.
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The Upturned crane

The photos that we have been sent from the scene show that the leading edge of the crane tracks sank into the ground allowing the crane to tip forward through 90 degrees, throwing the operator to the ground, causing fatal injuries. Connelly Crane runs a fleet of largely Link Belt crawlers up to 200 tons, although the largest crawler crane in the fleet is a 250 ton Liebherr.
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The front of the tracks sank into the sandy ground