Sign Crane snaps from base.

[Batch]

I talked to a former co-worker today that was recently (40 days ago) injured in a case where a newer Manitex crane blew out all of the bolts holding it to the rotation turret.

He was installing a channel letter extended about 70' out and roughly 40' above the ground when he heard a single pop. He woke up to find himself in a basket that had been crushed against the wall. He had multiple facial injuries. Including 5 broken bones in his cheeks and a broken nose.His lip was split wide open from outside and in and requires quite a few stitches. He broke his nose. He had several impacted or blown vertebrae. He has a torn shoulder ligament and also the same problem in his leg. All of that from the bucket slamming into the wall from less than much more than a foot away.

He came to very shortly after the accident and he was able to get down a straight ladder that was up to get him out of the bucket.

I grew up on Skyhook and Radocy booms. Litterally, I learned how to drive in a truck with a 100' Skyhook mounted to it. LOL

Given the well over $100,000.00 in mechanical repairs required to upkeep the last Skyhoist made by Phoenix and this last failure. If you see me buying something it will probably be Elliot. The company I work for has gone with Wilkie for its last 3 trucks. 2 service ladders and one two man bucket 75' boom.

[TelfordDorr]

While one would initially tend to blame the design, fabrication, or usage of the crane, more likely the cause is counterfeit bolts. This has been an ongoing problem for years, even in the grade 8 bolts. Without being tested, lot by lot, it's extremely difficult to tell good from phony. Even in aviation hardware. A sign of the times, I guess. Know your supplier.

TD

[Erik Sine]

It's always amazing the extent of an injury can result in just a few feet. Sorry to hear about your co-worker.

On a side note, if I were to ever invest in a cran I think my dream crane truck would be an Elliott

[Batch]

While one would initially tend to blame the design, fabrication, or usage of the crane, more likely the cause is counterfeit bolts. This has been an ongoing problem for years, even in the grade 8 bolts. Without being tested, lot by lot, it's extremely difficult to tell good from phony. Even in aviation hardware. A sign of the times, I guess. Know your supplier.

TD

I agree that it had to be the bolts.

Actually, the bolts have been sent out to a lab for metallurgical testing. It is the manufacturers responsibility to ensure his suppliers deliver the product as specified. If I isntall a defective transformer I am the one responsible to the customer and in their eyes and my wallet no one else.

When someone purchases a crane they expect to get a certain number of years of trouble free operation. They certainly would never purchase a crane with the problems we have had with Skyhoists offerings in the last 5 years or so.

[Brian]

I agree that it had to be the bolts.

Actually, the bolts have been sent out to a lab for metallurgical testing. It is the manufacturers responsibility to ensure his suppliers deliver the product as specified. If I isntall a defective transformer I am the one responsible to the customer and in their eyes and my wallet no one else.

When someone purchases a crane they expect to get a certain number of years of trouble free operation. They certainly would never purchase a crane with the problems we have had with Skyhoists offerings in the last 5 years or so.

I'll stick with my good ole' radocy 85'

[Batch]

Yeah, I have had two Radocy's. Both had the push button boom up. The only problems I ever had with Radocy was that the one with Hydraulic riggers sucked monkey dick and the rheostats were always fucking up. The other thing was the push button boom up.

I once had a journeyman that pushed the button and began fucking around with the generator while it boomed up. He blew every bolt on the main seal. Luckily we were able to use regular bolts to get it back down safely and to the hydraulic shop.

Except for the rheostats dying and that boom up button Radocy was a pretty bomb proof booms.

[KidCr3nshaw]

Good lord this is the kind of stuff that bothers me about sign work.

The guys I work for have two Wilkie 65' ladder trucks, 75' XRB 2-man bucket lift on International truck, and then a couple of crane trucks that are so old I couldn't tell you what they are.

I am the product of an OSHA-certified workforce. Every job I've ever had that involves dangerous eqiupment or machinery also had a safety program of some caliber in place. My first day at this sign company I had to go out on the oldest crane truck we've got and replace 2 125lb. braces in a MickeyD's arches 140' off the ground. There were three of us in this tiny bucket and while another young guy and myself held the braces in place, Bob a 67 year old cat was inside the sign starting bolts.

Never been so scared in my life. I've bungee jumped, skydived, climbed water towers as a kid. But for some reason I couldn't shake the idea that something was going to happen. I was never shown how to put on a harness (knew from working in cable though - they didn't know that). Was never shown any safety videos, no safety checks in the mornings before service (EVER... STILL), nothing in the way of safety. I don't like it and there is always that thought in the back of my mind that something is going to happen.

Here's my question to you guys...

Are you jaded from hearing about these accidents? My first reaction when reading the title was, "oh my god I wonder if that guy is okay?" You guys are talking nuts and bolts... wtf?

Safety precautions have been written into my business plan and is something I can't stop thinking about. I wish the guy the best of luck in recovery.

EDIT: It should be noted that I am no the pussy of the shop because I have a tendency to enjoy the fact that the equipment I'm working on is safe.

That's okay though because I'm an amatuer sportbike racer on the weekend and I told them all that before they call me a pussy again to hop on the back of my bike and let me take them around for a lap or two. See who calls who a pussy then. They don't get it. I guess if you've grown up working with shitty equipment you'll get used to it. Not me.

Edited August 16, 2008 by KidCr3nshaw

[Batch]

This is why OSHA puts the responsibility on the owner to train safety, supply safety equipment and enforce the safety program.

But, how many times do YOU violate a safety rule for convenience? Ever used a step ladders rungs above the recommended one? Ever used a saw horse as a ladder?

Almost every sign installation or service call requires that you wear a hard hat. How many here do?

With equipment it is always going to be the owner who is at fault. He chose the equipment and he is the one that can authorize the scheduled maintenance.

The company that owned this crane has a full time fleet mechanic on staff. He was the designated maintenance man. He was the one that performed the annual inspection required by OSHA. He had no experience or training on this type of equipment.

My boss just had a safety meeting regarding crane failures unrelated to this accident. He listed certain things that he wanted us to do.

Check the safety latch on our load line hooks to make sure they close. NONE do and the cranes roll out every day.

Check your clevises. Do they thread in fully? have the right manufacturers bolt? Most do not.

He says he is compliance with the OSHA requirements for inspection even though he is having the examination and maintenance performed by an ASE mechanic. The mechanic himself has told me he has no idea why he is doing these checks and he only checks for visible hose wear and fluid levels and lubes.

The reason that these cranes and aerial lifts aren't going to a certified aerial lift or crane company is simple. It costs more to get it done right.

The owner of the crane above is upset that OSHA has impounded his crane. He is pissed that he is still paying for the crane and he can't use it. He has repeatedly gotten fined for safety violations and has fired employees for getting him violations.

He should be grateful that none of his employees or anyone else was killed. He should be having all of his aerial lifts and cranes checked by certified people.

BTW, I just refused to go up in a man basket suspended from a hydro crane. We were using one hydro to remove some 18' X 11' flex faces and another hydro to lift the personnel in a man basket. I recommended that we have to man baskets and pull the retainers from both sides first. The bolts were rusted on and it took one crew hours just to get them off. Then use both cranes to drop the faces to the ground and then send the cranes home. We would have used right about the 4 hour minimum.

Then we could stretch the new faces on the ground and the cranes could come back in the morning and we could fly the faces and then use the two man baskets to reinstall the retainers. Which would require pre-drilling the steel for screws as all of the old ones had snapped off when being removed or had to be chiseled off.

In South Florida during the rainy season we have almost dialy thunder storms and with them high winds. They are almost always afternoon boomers. So the time to do this stuff is in the morning. We could have easily finished both faces being installed with in the 4 hour minimum again.

Instead we had a crew in the air during lightning. Pulled faces in high wind. But, the best part is we had 6 sign men and two crane operators sitting around waiting for "it to clear up". First day 7am to 10PM, second day 7:30 am to 7PM and the third day 8:30 AM to 4PM. So my way would have cost 4 hours of crane on day one or lets say maybe 5 hours. Then let say, with everybody stretching faces about three hours more of sign labor. Then we'll give them the all day to hang the faces just to be fair. That would be about 13 hours of hydro crane total. Though that is a MAX time.

Their way put crews at risk and cost themselves 34 hours of crane time times 2! All of the wasted labor time and over time for the sign people.