Worker dies in Falcon crane collapse

A man died when a Falcon Crane Hire crane collapsed last week the second fatal accident involving the firm's machines in less than six months. The Jaso J138 luffing jib crane collapsed on a David McLean site in central Liverpool, killing one site worker and trapping the operator in the cab.

Falcon was also the owner of the tower crane that collapsed in Battersea in September, killing two people. In the latest incident, crane operator Barry Walker had to be released from the cab by the emergency services and was taken to hospital with back and shoulder injuries. As a joint Health and Safety Executive (HSE) and police investigation gets underway, disquiet is growing in the industry at the unusual number of crane incidents.

There has been speculation that high winds may have caused the collapse, but records from the nearby Liverpool Airport show a wind of just 15 knots (27.8km/h) at the time - far below the limit for crane operations.

However, a Met Office official said local conditions around high-rise sites can be very different from those on an open airfield.

One industry source also pointed out that if a luffing tower crane turns into the wind and raises its jib, the wind effect is substantially increased. "It also depends on what, if anything, the crane is lifting," our source said. "If it is something like formwork, the windage can be considerable."

The crane has been removed to the HSE's laboratory in Derbyshire and Mike Wickham, managing director of David McLean Contractors, said the firm is co-operating with the investigation.