25.01.2017
Crane off road
We have finally managed to track down details of this year’s first example of an All Terrain crane overturning on a narrow country road.
Although we received photos shortly after the incident occurred, and knew it was somewhere in the UK, finding out when and where proved a little more challenging. It turns out that the incident occurred a week ago just south of the small town of Wangford in Suffolk.
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The crane had just crossed a bridge when it went off the road
This part of East Anglia is flat fenland, covered in drainage ditches and interlaced with small roads, the four axle crane from the Ainscough Crane Hire fleet had just left the main A12 road and had just crossed a small bridge on the single track road which passes a large quarry and landfill, which is where the driver was presumably heading, when the very edge of the road gave way causing the crane to roll down the embankment into the ditch. We understand that the operator was unhurt.
The road was closed and diversions put in place to allow the crane to be recovered and for road damage to be repaired.
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The wheels were clearly running on the edge of the road which then gave way
This time of year accidents such as this are relatively common place, as cranes with overall widths of between 2.5 and 2.75 metres with 12 tonne axles loads or more on super single tyres, travel down back roads with verges made soft by heavy rains. It is hard to see what can be done to eliminate the problem apart from refusing to send larger cranes to jobs at the end of such roads?
Mike Smith
I feel sorry for the sign in this situation. It did nothing wrong
stewart holmes
The comment of the crane made it over the bridge O.K then why not on the road, if you look at the bridge it is wider than the road, anyways WHY did the site inspection allow this to travel on this road?yes the operator should have been more cautious,but could have been under pressure to get the machine to site
Red
With all the emphasis on training employees how to operate cranes, maybe there should be some training on how to drive them (or how not to drive them ).
Eric L
One thing here strikes me. If the crane made it across the little bridge we see in the background, that says that it fits on the road, without needing to run on the shoulders. We can see from the rollover tat he drove right on the verge.
To me this seems operator error pure and simple. He ran off the verge and it gave way.
Sherm
Is it not practical for an experienced crane driver to drive and inspect a proposed route the day of or day before driving a huge heavy machine on the road beforehand? That practice required before the rent hire would be money in the bank to me. I'd prefer to decline a job in a risky situation like this soI could make my rental unit available to safer situations.