Crane operator swung site cabin into colleague

Crane operator swung site cabin into colleague, leading to injury and prosecution.

The driver of a crane was prosecuted after he failed to plan a simple lift which led to his colleague being hit by a moving portable cabin. A lifting plan need not be complicated, but it must deal with the risks associated with the operation.

The driver was lifting the cabin onto a lorry which was being taken to another site in May 2011. The victim had crawled under the cabin to retrieve work materials when the driver lifted one end of the cabin on the ground. The cabin was dragged across the victim causing a fractured rib cage and pelvis.

The HSE investigated and found that the driver had failed to plan the operation and that the crane unit was too far from the cabin to lift it safely onto the lorry.

The driver was fined £4,000 and £6,000 costs when he pleaded guilty of breaching Regulation 8(1) of the Lifting Operations and Lifting Equipment Regulations 1998. The HSE added that “clear lines of communication are needed to ensure that everyone knows what is to happen and what is expected of them”.