Singapore Government Media Release

On 11 April 2000, at about 11.30 am, the boom of a luffing jib tower crane collapsed while it was being raised by a crane operator. The collapsed boom hit a building that was under construction. Part of the boom crumbled and hit the scaffoldings and the work platforms that had been erected outside the building under construction. The boom crushed one worker, who was working on the platform. Another worker was thrown off the platform and fell from a height of about 5 storeys to the ground. Both workers died on the spot.

The project involved the construction of a 36m high office building for the Board of Commissioners of Currency, Singapore. It was awarded to the contractor, Kumagai Gumi Co Ltd, at a project cost of $62 million. At the time of the accident, the construction had reached the topmost floor. The crane involved in the accident is a luffing jib tower crane with a maximum safe working load of 8 tonnes. The length of the boom is about 55m.

Preliminary investigations revealed that the winch used for luffing (raising or lowering) the boom was not functioning properly. This caused the luffing rope that was holding the boom to unwind from the winch drum resulting in the collapse of the boom. Investigation is still in progress to determine the cause of the fault in the winch.

The wreckage at the scene of accident has been removed. The scaffoldings that were damaged by the crane’s boom when it collapsed have been rectified and made safe for use. The Stop Work Order that was issued to the contractor has been lifted with effect from 18 Apr 2000.

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