Crane overturns on metro construction project in Taoyuan City
A large mobile crane overturned while working on an MRT construction project in Taoyuan City yesterday, but fortunately nobody was injured in the accident.
According to reports, the crane was being used to lift steel molds during the dismantling of formwork on the construction site of station G13 on the Taoyuan MRT Green Line on Zhongzheng Road in Luzhu District when it tipped over at 1:25 pm. The crane’s boom hit the truck carrying the steel molds, damaged traffic signal poles, and left the road blocked until the accident site was cleared at around 8:30 pm.
The Northern Occupational Safety and Health Center (OSHA) of the Ministry of Labor conducted an on site investigation immediately following the accident. It was confirmed that the crane operator was qualified and properly licensed to operate the equipment.
According to the preliminary investigation, the weight of each steel mold did not exceed 4 tons, and should have been no problem for the 30-ton crane. However, operator error is suspected to have been the cause of the accident. The investigation found that there was a limited working space for the crane and obstacles such as traffic lights and utility poles. The crane operator had extended the boom too far in order to avoid the obstacles, causing the crane to overturn.
OHSA said that similar errors had occurred in the past, due to operators seeking convenience and to save time and trouble.
The MRT Engineering Bureau of Taoyuan City Government, said that the accident was due to the negligence of the operator, and that they would issue penalties in accordance with the contract, and the contractor will also be responsible for the cost of damages incurred in the accident.
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