Crane collapse downtown

[Scrobins94]

We have "WorksafeBC" providing regular inspections, daily on site safety meetings every morning, a reporting system for all employees to provide information that MUST be recorded in a log book of ANY safety concerns, anonymous tip lines directly to WorksafeBC, 1st Aid/safety representatives on every job site.

If anyone, at any time, had any concern whatsoever, there are so many different avenues that they could have taken to report their concerns.

Why didn't anyone do this?

Because they didn't see any problem to report.

This was a freak accident.

Freak accident? More like negligence and posting on the gram instead of focusing on the task at hand. Why did MG not do something about this earlier? Other people have noted that a lot of these social media posts of crane operations were known to MG.

[60-YEARS-in-Ktown]

We have "WorksafeBC" providing regular inspections, daily on site safety meetings every morning, a reporting system for all employees to provide information that MUST be recorded in a log book of ANY safety concerns, anonymous tip lines directly to WorksafeBC, 1st Aid/safety representatives on every job site.

If anyone, at any time, had any concern whatsoever, there are so many different avenues that they could have taken to report their concerns.

Why didn't anyone do this?

Because they didn't see any problem to report.

This was a freak accident.

If you really believe this was a freak accident, you should go back to page one and look at the three camera captures that Troy posted.

First one all looks normal, second one the jib that is supposed to be level, is at about a 45° angle which strongly indicates a loss of balance which is crucial during disassembly, then third picture it's gone. The location of the trolley and the weight it's holding would dictate whether the jib is balanced or not.

Look at where the trolley is in the first photo where all is normal, then compare it to the second photo and you'll note it's very close to the cab causing the counter weight to flip the jib up.

The only way this would be a freak accident is if the trolley started moving on its own. Not saying that couldn't happen, but it is a new crane, from a highly respected manufacturer.

My feeling,and I am not saying this is what happened, there are other things that would have a similar effect, more than one.
Like a pin or pivot breaking.. and anchor for the lift or trolley cables .... a support bar or truss pin breaking... a few things could have failed. The breakage of one small part can lead to momentary increase in load to other components. This in some cases can lead multiple failures in rapid succession..... and bring a structure down..
Bottom line.. I and most of us DONT KNOW what happened......... myself, I am good with letting the investigators work out what happened. ..

[nucksRnum1]

Even with shudda - wuddah - cuddah scenarios......are people trying to say that the obvious lack of safety culture is just thrown out with the bathwater? You would have to be blind not to see the obvious things like PPE etc. You would have to write up a fall protection plan. If that plan was mailed in and exactly the same garble as day 1 - is that irrelevant?

[alanjh595]

If you really believe this was a freak accident, you should go back to page one and look at the three camera captures that Troy posted.

First one all looks normal, second one the jib that is supposed to be level, is at about a 45° angle which strongly indicates a loss of balance which is crucial during disassembly, then third picture it's gone. The location of the trolley and the weight it's holding would dictate whether the jib is balanced or not.

Look at where the trolley is in the first photo where all is normal, then compare it to the second photo and you'll note it's very close to the cab causing the counter weight to flip the jib up.

The only way this would be a freak accident is if the trolley started moving on its own. Not saying that couldn't happen, but it is a new crane, from a highly respected manufacturer.

My feeling,and I am not saying this is what happened, there are other things that would have a similar effect, more than one.
Like a pin or pivot breaking.. and anchor for the lift or trolley cables .... a support bar or truss pin breaking... a few things could have failed. The breakage of one small part can lead to momentary increase in load to other components. This in some cases can lead multiple failures in rapid succession..... and bring a structure down..
Bottom line.. I and most of us DONT KNOW what happened......... myself, I am good with letting the investigators work out what happened. ..

\ 5

[Tankur]

More speculation. My wife’s co worker who lives and works in the area was by the site right after and noticed a man frantically yelling it was all his fault he forgot something about a bolt up there. Hopefully that comes out..

[Trixster]

More speculation. My wife’s co worker who lives and works in the area was by the site right after and noticed a man frantically yelling it was all his fault he forgot something about a bolt up there. Hopefully that comes out..

I find this hard to believe!

[bob vernon]

A workplace that is safe is the result of a "culture of safety" where the rules are followed. A workplace that isn't safe is the result of bending and breaking basic rules to save time and it results in a bad culture. Once the investigation by the province is complete we'll know which one this company falls into. I think that we'll see the province really tighten up regulation of these cranes and their operation.

[mullyman]

More speculation. My wife’s co worker who lives and works in the area was by the site right after and noticed a man frantically yelling it was all his fault he forgot something about a bolt up there. Hopefully that comes out..

I find this hard to believe!

why? it happens all the time...

[mullyman]

Idon't believe that this was a freak accident either ... BUT out of respect for the families involved , I hope the report is never made public ..

Just like the Tolko tug "accident" , the families don't need the smear in a time of great loss ....

but... we need to try to learn from others mistakes... so the likely hood of reoccurrence is minimilized

[Even Steven]

There are no freak accidents. Things don't just happen. Somebody did something wrong, somebody did not check something, and the incident was the net result of all the little things or one big thing.

There's always a cause.

[stuphoto]

More speculation. My wife’s co worker who lives and works in the area was by the site right after and noticed a man frantically yelling it was all his fault he forgot something about a bolt up there. Hopefully that comes out..

How many times have we all suddenly wondered if we had turned off the stove or locked the door.
Then rushed back only to find out we had.

I would rule this story as nothing more than that.

Besides forgetting a bolt would have caused the collapse while erecting or during use. Not during dismantling it.
You are not going to remove a bolt below the point you are working at.

[Glacier]

[nucksRnum1]

Perhaps this is a perfect illustration that you should hire professionals to do specialized work. Its too easy for a company (I would be willing to say this particular company who had the incident) to go out and purchase a crane and use it without proper education and certification. Especially a complex task like the tear down of that crane. Why? Because specialists know their worth and a company would irrationally think its too costly. So they do it themselves to save a buck.

Unfortunately this cowboy decision to "get er done" caused lives - including a civilian next to the crane. That has been something that is a modern problem. Sub contractors want to save a buck so they do things themselves. How? By opening a shell company - for instance bob the builder cranes - that can be leveraged as a conduit for profit. Cutting out the professionals.

But in the end was the mechanism of profit a good deal for civilians around that crane? I hope that we get back to the place where the cowboy system gets ticketed out of existence. Because jack of all - master of none proved to be deadly in this case. There should be some things you shouldnt just be able to do because you saw how it was done on youtube.

[60-YEARS-in-Ktown]

Those are pretty serious allegations you just posted..
I have serious trouble accepting what you wrote as being the actual case..
I would be surprised if that post lasts till morning..

[bob vernon]

The video is chilling. And damning.