Cranes are fundamental to various industries, including construction and manufacturing. Operating heavy equipment like cranes involves risks that can seriously impact lives, operations, and costs. According to the United States Bureau of Labor Statistics, there is an average of 42 crane-related fatalities in the U.S. each year. Additionally, 24% of fatal work injuries involving cranes take place in the manufacturing industry.
Understanding what causes crane accidents can help make the work environment more secure and minimize the impact of accidents, injuries and fatalities. This guide by CICB looks at five common causes of crane accidents and explores preventive strategies that can help minimize crane-related risks. That way, you can train your team accordingly and implement the necessary precautions on your construction site to reduce these hazards as much as possible.
Crane accidents can happen for numerous complex reasons. While there is usually a primary cause one can point to when a crane accident occurs, it is often a series of problems that culminate in the accident. For example, a lack of training may result in poor communication that causes the accident, or a combination of inadequate planning and environmental factors can result in an incident. The five most prevalent causes of crane accidents include:
Most crane accidents involve human error of some degree. Human error is often the result of improper equipment use, inadequate training, poor communication on-site, and a few other factors:
These types of accidents can result from malfunctions or failures in structural components, mechanical systems, control systems and indicators, and power systems. When structural components fail, the outcomes can be catastrophic and even fatal. The following structural components can experience failure:
A crane's mechanical system includes the brakes, clutch, gearbox, pulley systems, and hydraulic systems. When these components are compromised, the crane can move uncontrollably. An operator may not be able to slow or stop the crane from colliding with property or people, or they may have trouble safely controlling the load when experiencing mechanical failure.
Control and power system malfunctions and indicator failures can also result in devastating accidents. If any of the electronics or sensors fail, the crane cannot detect potentially hazardous conditions like wind gusts, overloading, and proximity to hazards like overhead power cables. Recognizing the dangers of improper and infrequent maintenance is essential.
Environmental factors like bad weather and other poor working conditions can make a site unsafe. Safety measures in place, like sensors, can warn of less-than-ideal working conditions. Often, though, working conditions can be ideal and then swiftly change in the middle of operating a crane, sometimes at a crucial moment. Environmental factors that can be a concern include:
Sometimes, the events that cause crane-related accidents seem greatly beyond anyone's control. However, it is crucial to prioritize safe working conditions and emergency response training to help minimize the severity of these types of accidents.
Proper rigging helps verify that loads are secured and lifted safely. Several factors can lead to rigging-related accidents, primarily involving load instability from miscalculations and using incorrect or damaged slings:
Inadequate planning greatly affects operations and can lead to property damage, injuries, and fatalities. Examples and case studies showing the seriousness of improper planning include:
Failing to assess a worksite and setup properly led to a fatal incident in November 2003, when a 66-year-old equipment operator was killed on-site. The operator, who was an experienced worker, positioned the crane on unstable ground between two ponds.
The operator allegedly started dredging and attempted side-angle operations without deploying the outriggers. The unstable ground and improper setup caused the crane to tip over. The operator jumped from the cab, and he was sadly crushed by the lattice boom crane.
Four workers were killed and six were injured in the collapse of a crane in Texas, on July 18, 2008. The incident involved one of the world's largest cranes at the time, the Versa TC-36000. The crane fell backward when the operator, an unqualified worker operating the massive crane for the first time, lost control of the crane. The collapse also brought down a smaller support crane with it.
On February 5, 2016, a 570-foot-high Liebherr crawler crane collapsed in Manhattan, New York. The unfortunate incident resulted in the death of a motorist. The collapse also left two pedestrians injured. The crane was operating in high winds, despite the recommendation to lay the crane down in winds over 20 miles per hour.
This was not the only violation of safety recommendations. The operator had also lowered the boom to 69.4 degrees in these windy conditions, where the recommendation was not to have the boom angle lower than 75 degrees. There may have been a lack of clear instructions contributing to these circumstances.
A lattice boom mobile crane overturned in 2010, causing over $100,000 in damage. The accident, referred to as the Jay Jay Railroad Draw Bridge Crane Incident, occurred when the crane overturned on a barge while placing pilings with a hydraulic driver.
The loft planner miscalculated the weight of the hydraulic driver, causing the load to exceed the crane's lift capacity. The miscalculation led the operator to believe the load was 9 tons, but it was actually 10.5 tons. The load swung perpendicular to the crane's crawler tracks, and the crane tipped and fell over.
A report by the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) shows that in the U.S., the third leading cause of death while working on a construction site is electrocution. Many of these events occur because of contact with overhead power lines.
Even workers on foot who touch or guide crane loads can be injured or killed if a crane comes into contact with power lines. Proper planning and detailed lift plans are essential for a safe working distance from power lines that minimize these risks.
The 2008 NYC Tower Crane Collapse highlighted the need for written procedures and critical processes for “jumping” a tower crane, making it taller as a building grows during construction.
In this incident, the tower crane collapsed while being “jumped,” killing seven people and injuring 24. The devastating accident occurred because temporary restraints were removed before permanent ones were installed, showing a clear lack of planning, training, and supervision by qualified site managers.
Some of the statistics for injuries and fatalities related to crane accidents reflect how severe they can be. The World Steel Association published a 2024 data report on safety and health in the industry. One of the datasets in the report examined the ratio between lost-time injuries (LTIs) and fatalities from 2004 to 2023. During this period, overhead crane accidents resulted in 897 LTIs and 103 fatalities.
All crane accidents should be taken seriously, as should preventive measures. Having prevention strategies in place for all construction and manufacturing environments is crucial for minimizing accidents that cause property damage, severe injuries, and loss of life. Crane accident statistics reinforce how vital workplace safety is in these industries. Each construction and manufacturing company and site should prioritize adequate and ongoing training, including crane operator training, overhead crane training, rigger training, crane inspector training, and crane supervisor training.
Devastating accidents involving cranes have far-reaching consequences. Workers and bystanders can be injured or lose their lives, and surrounding businesses can also suffer costly damage. These incidents also negatively impact the construction and manufacturing industries — companies risk their reputation and their operations, and the results can sometimes be permanent due to bankruptcy or legal outcomes.
Closely examining the common causes of crane accidents can help businesses proactively address safety concerns, and ongoing training, inspections, and maintenance can make businesses safer and more compliant. Companies that prioritize prevention strategies that minimize crane-related injuries and fatalities help grow crucial sectors in construction and maintenance.