The following critical incident occurred during the construction of a new wash plant that involved the unloading of multiple loads containing components for the new plant.

During the crane unloading operation, a cyclone adjacent to the lift was subject to an uncontrolled movement when the weight was taken up by the crane, the cyclone fell from the low loader landing on the floor. A third piece of equipment also moved and became unstable but didn’t fall. There were no people in the vicinity and no injuries, the cyclone suffered some minor damage. The lift was being undertaken by a contracted lifting specialist company.

The images below show the cyclone after it fell from the low loader and the component that shifted but did not fall.

Ensure that the following actions are followed during lifting operations:

• If it’s a task within a Construction Design Management (CDM) area then it must fully comply with CDM 2015 Regulations
• Planned, supervised and completed by competent, appointed and authorised persons
• Prior to removing any restraints or beginning the lift the load(s) should be assessed for sources of stored energy (gravitational, potential). These should be considered as part of the risk assessment and addressed before lifting commences
• Exclusion zones sufficient, clearly marked and communicated to prevent any unauthorised persons entering into the lifting zone
• Are site requirements or restrictions communicated to suppliers regarding the configuration of loads i.e. if it is loaded with a fork lift truck it may require one to safely unload.
• Never attempt to unload any load that shows evidence of instability or that has shifted in transit. Stop and Think then seek advice from a competent person.
• Whenever anything changes during a lifting operation you should immediately STOP the work and reassess.

For more information see the HSE Guidance -  Planning and organising lifting operations - HSE