Ratchet straps used as 'makeshift' lifting loops in crane accident, expert says

An investigation is underway after three men were seriously injured when heavy glass panels fell from a crane at a government-funded construction site near Albury, on the New South Wales-Victoria border. The incident occurred last Friday, with one man in his 20s currently in critical condition at the Royal Melbourne Hospital.

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The images depict a severe breach of rigging and crane safety protocols.

Images from the site have revealed a "severe breach" of safety protocols, according to Samuel Ho, director of Cranes Australia, an independent crane safety inspection company. Ho stated that standard cargo tie-down ratchet straps appeared to be used as "makeshift lifting loops" to move the glass panels. He described this as a "fundamental, almost unbelievable disregard for basic site safety and high-risk work licensing rules."

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It is comical in a dark sense because using basic transport tie-downs to crane-lift heavy materials reflects such a fundamental, almost unbelievable disregard for basic site safety and high-risk work licensing rules.

Ho explained that certified synthetic webbing, chain, or wire-rope slings should have been used for such a lift, along with safety latched hooks or rated shackles. He added that lifting equipment should have load-limit markings and appropriate protection for sharp edges. The use of non-certified gear to save time or effort, Ho warned, inevitably leads to dropped loads and puts workers' lives at extreme risk. SafeWork NSW is investigating the incident, and the union CFMEU is seeking further details.

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Bypassing certified gear to save time or effort inevitably leads to dropped loads and places worker lives at extreme risk.