Crane Safety OSHA Violations Result in Hundreds of Injuries & Fatalities and Millions in Fines
The Konecranes Training Institute just revealed a NEW crane safety study that analyzed 249 industrial overhead crane incidents that occurred over a 10 year period.
Across the 249 incidents that occurred, 838 OSHA violations were committed. The 249 incidents resulted in 133 injuries and 133 fatalities.
The study revealed that the top causes and results of the incidents were:
- 37% - Crushed by the Load (load swing, load drop, or by an unstable load being placed and immediately falling over). Crushed by the Load resulted in 33.8% of all fatalities and 36.8% of all injuries.
- 27% - Load Dropped (most common root cause of load drops is poor rigging practices)
- 12% - Caused by a Fall (from heights of 8 ft. to 100+ ft.)
- 11% - Injured Person Crushed / Run Over by an Overhead or Gantry Crane. 93% of these incidents resulted in a fatality.
- 6% Improper / Absent Lock Out Tag – Out (LOTO)
- 7% - Other
The violations lead to $2.3 million dollars in OSHA fines.
The average major injury has a cost of over $200,000; while the average fatality has a cost of over $4 million.
Other direct costs include:
- Incident Investigations
- Damaged Product or Equipment
- Doctor & Hospital Bills
- Site Clean Up
- Injured Persons Compensation
- Loss of Production
Indirect costs include:
- Loss of Future Production
- Company Safety Ratings
- Increased Insurance Premiums
- Potential to Lose Customers
- Attorney Fees
- Missed Deliveries
- Personal Impact
74% of the incidents that occurred within the 10 year period of this study happened during routine job activities.
The most effective way to improve safety include:
- Crane Operator Training
- Rigging Training
- Lifecycle Care
- New Equipment
- Inspections
- Preventative Maintenance
- Corrective Maintenance & Retrofits
- Consulting Services
- Modernization Services
Konecranes Training Institute delivers measurable improvements in crane safety and productivity. We design and structure our crane training & rigging courses with safety at the forefront.
We enhance productivity and safety through proper training in:
- Sway Control – Reduces load sway and improve productivity & safety
- Snag Prevention – Stops all crane movement if a hook, sling, or load gets caught
- Hook Centering – Prevents side pulling when a load is being lifted off-center
View all Crane Training Courses by Category now or Schedule On-Site Crane Training at Your Facility.
*The above data was completed by the Konecranes Training Institute in New Berlin, WI. Data was obtained by the U.S. Department of Labor, Occupational Safety & Health Administration (OSHA). The study and its information is an analysis and summary of the data obtained and does not take into account the identity of, or attribute liability to, any parties involved in the incidents and in no way states, concludes, or infers that Konecranes was involved in any respect to such incidents.