– It is only natural that the crane involved should have a warning system when driving and the crane is up. This is what Runar Hauge, head of section for the inspection department at the Norwegian Labor Inspection Authority, told news. Runar Hauge is section leader for supervision at the Norwegian Labor Inspection Authority. Photo: news On 31 July, a driver died when his lorry drove with the crane up and into a footbridge in Olsvik in Bergen. The concrete element fell onto the cab. After the accident, the driver’s employer stated in a press release that both the lorry and the crane were approved and in good technical condition. The employer has informed news that the crane has a warning on the outriggers, but that no so-called height warning had been installed on the crane arm. The person concerned confirms this again, but does not wish to comment on this matter further. After two weeks of work in their specialist department, the Norwegian Labor Inspection Authority can now state the following for crane trucks that were imported and built after 2012: – There must be sensors that notify. A warning that is visible and audible from the maneuvering position must indicate whether the crane is correctly positioned, says Hauge. Investigating the distribution of responsibility The Norwegian Labor Inspection Authority states that the crane truck in question is a 2014 model. – Shouldn’t the factory have installed a warning system? – We are in the process of investigating how this is connected. The car should have had a warning system. The Norwegian Labor Inspection Authority assumes that it is the employer who is initially responsible for ensuring that the car has what it needs, says Hauge. – What responsibility lies with the manufacturer and the retailer in Norway? – Now you are on to what we are investigating, and I am unable to give a concrete answer to that now, says Hauge. He does not want to go into more details before the inspection report is finished. news has been in contact with the company that should have had the crane truck for annual approval. They point out that the case is under police investigation and do not want to comment now. Announces clear guidelines for the inspection of crane trucks Furthermore, the authority will follow up news’s case that crane inspectors sound the alarm about their own industry: It is not always the case that crane trucks have installed warning systems on both the crane arm and the supporting legs of the crane, even if they are supposed to. Installed alarms do not always work. If this is discovered during the annual inspections, there are different practices among inspectors as to what the consequences will be. – Some give a ban on use, others give a simple notice and let them drive on, said Kai Halvorsen, professional leader in Norwegian crane certification, on 13 August. Kai Halvorsen in Norwegian Crane Certification has requested guidance from the Norwegian Labor Inspection Authority. Now the Norwegian Labor Inspection Authority announces that they will come up with clearer guidelines, as, among other things, Halvorsen has called for. – We will follow up suppliers, the certification body and those who carry out the expert inspection of cranes, says Hauge. The aim is more individual control, and to prevent similar accidents, he says. This storeroom is owned by crane inspector Kai Halvorsen. – This is very good news! It is a dream scenario if they can be so ready. It is important to us that everyone does it equally. There are many incompetent inspectors, he says. The footbridge has not yet been replaced after the accident at Olsvik in Bergen. Photo: Cato Heldal Kristensen The inspectorate examines the crane The Norwegian Labor Inspection Authority is still working on the inspection report after the fatal accident. They have been on a visual inspection and had several meetings with employers, in collaboration with the Norwegian Road Administration, the National Accident Investigation Board and the police. Vest police district informs news that they are waiting for the examinations of the crane and truck to be completed. Part of the work is to investigate whether there are sensors on the crane, and whether it is the warning system inside the driver’s cab that makes it visible, according to the Norwegian Labor Inspection Authority. In inspection reports, the inspectorate can come up with new measures to ensure a safe and sound working environment to avoid new accidents. They can also issue orders to the employer. Light and sound warning When it comes to the requirement for warning on the crane, Hauge refers to the European standard “EN 12999”, which was introduced in 2012. It states that there must be both light and sound warning on both the crane arm and the support leg of the crane on crane trucks. The Norwegian Labor Inspection Authority’s specialist department has spent two weeks finding out that this industry standard is also legally binding in Norway. – We had to do it thoroughly. It was about regulations sanctioned in 2015, and whether they have had retroactive effect on this standard, says Hauge Requirements for notification in crane trucks On 1 August, the Norwegian Road Administration informed news that there is no requirement for notification in driving technical regulations if a crane stands up while driving . They had also checked with the Norwegian Labor Inspection Authority about their regulations. But according to the industry, it has been an industry standard, also called the European standard, from 2013-2014 that all trucks must have a warning system installed. This is based on a European standard called “EN 12999”, which was created in 2011 and introduced from 2012. It was updated in 2020. It states that crane trucks must have a warning system with light and sound in the driver’s cab when the crane arm and outriggers are not in the driving position . Norma is voluntary to follow, but is used as an industry standard to meet the machine regulations in the Norwegian legislation. The Norwegian Labor Inspection Authority’s specialist department has spent two weeks clarifying whether the standard is legally binding. They write in an e-mail to news: “A lorry, fitted with a lorry crane, is also covered by the machinery regulations with associated harmonized standards as well as the Norwegian Labor Inspection Authority’s regulations on assembly control and periodic control carried out by a certified expert company. The employer has obligations to train employees for inspection, use and maintenance and to take the work equipment out of use if it is faulty. (…) The Norwegian Labor Inspection Authority’s regulations on certified expert control, others not. Trucks with truck cranes as well as various construction machines are covered, while concrete pump trucks with pump arms and normal trucks with a tipping plane are not.” Source: lovdata.no, norskstandard.no, Arbeidstilsynet Start of school without footbridge After the accident, several people have called for measures to prevent similar incidents. news has written about the fact that many bridges are vulnerable to collisions, and investigated the requirement for an alarm on crane trucks while driving. The SV and the Liberal Party have said that they will introduce notification requirements also in older crane trucks that came to Norway before the European norm was introduced in 2012. Last week, it was the start of school in the neighborhood where the fatal accident occurred. The footbridge the crane truck was driving on is partially gone and closed, and traffic wardens have been deployed to ensure safety when the schoolchildren are crossing the nearby footpath. The municipality has announced that they will lower the speed limit, create speed bumps and raise the footpath. A traffic warden looks after school children and adults who can no longer use the footbridge. Photo: Cato Heldal Kristensen / news
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The truck in the dead end in Olsvik should have had an alarm on the crane arm – news Vestland
