Crane collapse during a tree removal:

Around here, many crane ops refuse to let tree guys ride the ball, and some crane companies make it policy. I have long been at odds with this decision, arguing that clearly it is safer to tie-in to an engineered, rated structure made of steel, than to tie-in on an untested natural system like a tree.

I had never even imagined that a crane could tip over without a load on it, with a climber dangling from it.
 
I have very seldom seen a crane operator willing to park on the lawn. Maybe an outrigger just a little bit in the grass from the driveway, but never straight up in the lawn.

Perhaps I’m just working with much more cautious operators. It would seem to me like good incentive to try to find a work plan that involves keeping the crane off the lawn.
 
Stumpsprouts said:
I have very seldom seen a crane operator willing to park on the lawn. Maybe an outrigger just a little bit in the grass from the driveway, but never straight up in the lawn.

Perhaps I’m just working with much more cautious operators. It would seem to me like good incentive to try to find a work plan that involves keeping the crane off the lawn.
Click to expand...

How about setting the outriggers that close to the house. Could cause the basement to cave in. Maybe the house is on a slab though….
 
The horizontal section of the outriggers are about 4-5' high from the vertical section pushing them up. This means the outrigger was footed 4' from the foundation or a little more. The horizontal section pushed through the wall but you can still see the bottom of it outside the house. I've seen some setups within 2' of foundations with no harm done. Even in sand. I'm pretty sure E. Greenbush is a sandy area.

As far as setting a crane up in a driveway, with the outriggers in the yard, all the weight is still carried on the outriggers. I've never seen a stick crane set up with it's wheels still on the ground. At least not cranes with 4 outriggers. Those are 40ton and up models. Sometimes the tree is not within reach from the driveway and the tree necessitates a crane for safe removal.

Septic tanks. You can usually locate the bathroom, and or kitchen, to find a septic in service. Doesn't help though when the home has been remodeled one or more times. You use your best judgement, and can probe where the outriggers are going to sit. This is when lives are at stake. The out riggers are down and the boom, with or without a pick, is transferring weight. I'm still in awe that the climber rode this boom to the ground without injury.

Non the less, crane work is dangerous, but sometimes it's the safest method of removal. Other times, it's just taking some of the overly intensive labor out of the equation. Whatever the case may be, be safe all.
 
Some additional info..... An earlier post had me mistaken the tree company for AJS who indeed is not the company that flipped the crane.

The company in this discussion at fault is A&J Landscape and Tree.
 
  • Like
Reactions: ATH
Couple items. I set up in yards all the time. My contract says the primary is responsible for everything above and below ground. They have to do their due diligence to make sure there isn't anything not marked by the utility finding company. They do not mark anything private so the homeowner is responsible. I can't speak for other areas but in my area current and old septic are required to be disclosed at the time of purchase of the home. Due to the proximity to watersheds any old septic is required to be pumped and then filled in and certified. I require the certificate stating it has been filled in per the local code. Homeowners can also contact the municipality as they have records of who has septic because it requires a permit from the city. If the house is old enough and nobody makes me feel confident about the lack of old septic, the location of current septic, old fuel tanks then I wont set up. I do have a probe though. I know my area well enough to know what property is probably gonna have one or not. The other issue is foundations and voids. The standard says your should be 1x the depth of anything below grade for the outrigger placement. If a ditch is 4' deep, I stay 4' away. Same for a foundation. Last thing I wanna do is dump the crane and buy a foundation wall at the same time. Lots of people don't follow this but I do. Too much risk. So not second guessing on this incident but......this is how I go about crane work on residential sited on or off the hard surface. Glad everyone walked away ok.
 
Muggs said:
Around here, many crane ops refuse to let tree guys ride the ball, and some crane companies make it policy. I have long been at odds with this decision, arguing that clearly it is safer to tie-in to an engineered, rated structure made of steel, than to tie-in on an untested natural system like a tree.

I had never even imagined that a crane could tip over without a load on it, with a climber dangling from it.
Click to expand...
The boom crashed through the side of a big pine on this jobsite. The climber said the boom was falling ahead of him. So the boom stripped out all the big branches, clearing the way for the attached climber and then the pine branches created a bed for the climber to fall into, and come out unharmed. Sounds like a miracle to me
 
That sounds like the kind of orchestrated stunts you see in big hollywood movies. I don't think I could give reasonable betting odds; that just doesn't happen in real life.
 
96coal449 said:
I wondered how long it would take for news to reach here. I was working in Gilboa at the time and heard the reverbs within an hour. Strange enough, I live over an hour away from AJS home base. On my way home one evening, I saw their chip truck in my local. They were working close by and dumping chips at a dairy far just down the road from me. I stopped and shared my business card for contract climbing. I'm sooooo glad I never got called.


Good to know of this possibility too. I'll ask about it and ''see'' what I hear.
@Mowerr Hows you? You're from The Buff area, Right?
Click to expand...
Never heard of the buff area. I'm from Saratoga county ... where r you?
 
Mowerr said:
Never heard of the buff area. I'm from Saratoga county ... where r you?
Click to expand...
I thought you were near the Buffalow area. I've done a good deal of work in the capital district and surrounding areas. 'toga as well. I'm now in Schoharie county.

Update: ....through the grapevine, the home has been condemned. I heard it has shifted off it's foundation. A&J is claiming the HO's insurance should foot the bill. Something about the location of the septic was miss located.

This is the lil bit I heard today from another crane op. I didn't indulge on it. There were 2 other guys on our crew and the conversation quickly diverted to other stories during lunch.

On another note: we passed A&J's yard around 8:30. Every truck was accounted for in their yard. Misrepresented location of the tank, or not, it is the operators responsibility to setup safely. They may not recover from this. Even with insurance footing the bill, I can assume their policy will be dropped. Wondering if the policy was for ''landscaping?'' I doubt another insurer would want to give them a policy or, if they did, it would be sky high.
 
That's what I don't understand about insurance. What good is it to not have to sell off your equipment to pay for the repairs and then continue operating if you can't keep enough insurance to be able to keep operating? The guys I work with have literally never used their insurance for this reason; just fix what you broke or hire a licensed pro to fix it. It feels like these insurance companies are running a huge con.
 
Matias said:
That's what I don't understand about insurance. What good is it to not have to sell off your equipment to pay for the repairs and then continue operating if you can't keep enough insurance to be able to keep operating? The guys I work with have literally never used their insurance for this reason; just fix what you broke or hire a licensed pro to fix it. It feels like these insurance companies are running a huge con.
Click to expand...
Biggest scam after politics and religion!
Sorry to anyone I offend but that’s definitely my opinion
 
MikePowers321 said:
The boom crashed through the side of a big pine on this jobsite. The climber said the boom was falling ahead of him. So the boom stripped out all the big branches, clearing the way for the attached climber and then the pine branches created a bed for the climber to fall into, and come out unharmed. Sounds like a miracle to me
Click to expand...
I missed a couple of posts earlier, including yours. Only thing that alerted me was a quote of one of mine.
I did hear of some brush being ''pulled off the climber,'' but hadn't heard about this. Truly fortunate.

Anyhows, hows you? Been awhile since I've ''seen'' ya.
 
96coal449 said:
I thought you were near the Buffalow area. I've done a good deal of work in the capital district and surrounding areas. 'toga as well. I'm now in Schoharie county.

Update: ....through the grapevine, the home has been condemned. I heard it has shifted off it's foundation. A&J is claiming the HO's insurance should foot the bill. Something about the location of the septic was miss located.

This is the lil bit I heard today from another crane op. I didn't indulge on it. There were 2 other guys on our crew and the conversation quickly diverted to other stories during lunch.

On another note: we passed A&J's yard around 8:30. Every truck was accounted for in their yard. Misrepresented location of the tank, or not, it is the operators responsibility to setup safely. They may not recover from this. Even with insurance footing the bill, I can assume their policy will be dropped. Wondering if the policy was for ''landscaping?'' I doubt another insurer would want to give them a policy or, if they did, it would be sky high.
Click to expand...
I think your thinking about Jonny, I think that's his handle on here
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

New threads New posts

Kask Stihl NORTHEASTERN Arborists Wesspur TreeStuff.com Teufelberger Westminster X-Rigging Teufelberger
Back
Top Bottom