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Preliminary investigations into the collapse of a tower crane on Feb. 22 at the NUS Alumni Complex has shed some light on the cause of the accident that killed three construction workers and injured two others.
Investigations revealed that the crane was not lifting any load when its four anchors located at the base failed structurally, causing it to topple over. According to the Ministry of Manpower, the collapse of an entire tower crane is a “rare” occurrence. The last known incident of such a collapse occurred in 1997, due to the use of incorrect parts to erect the crane. It was initially speculated that the unstable ground or soil foundation could have caused the crane to collapse. MOM has stopped all work on the worksite following the accident last week. The exact cause of the structural failure is still unknown as investigations are on-going. However, the crane accident has highlighted safety concerns and MOM has stepped up on spot checks on other types of tower cranes. Lee Tzu Yang, chairman of Workplace Safety and Health Advisory Committee, said crane safety cannot be undermined as such operations become more common. Lee said, “With the increase in the number of construction projects, crane usage is high as many of the sites require cranes for lifting activities. In densely built-up Singapore, it is critical for crane operations to be carried out safely, as they may potentially affect not only workers, but also public areas and the public-at-large.” The impact of the crash narrowly missed a bus stop outside the NUS School of Business, located near the vicinity of the work site. |
