Big Blue crane collapse - GIF

**Jon** · Aug 19, 2018, 04:27 PM

One of the most legendary (and well-analyzed) crane collapses, Big Blue was a Lampson LTL-1500 Transi-Lift heavy lift crawler crane. It collapsed in 1999, during construction of the Miller Park baseball stadium in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, killing three iron workers: Jeffrey Wischer, William DeGrave, and Jerome Starr.

The crane was lifting a 100 x 180 x 16 open truss panel roof section, weighing in at around 500 tons. The workers were killed after falling 300 feet to the ground, when the crane hit the observation platform on which they were standing. The accident also caused about $100 million in damage, delayed the project's completion for a year, and was a landmark trial relating to crane operation and worker safety. Much of the blame was placed on the supervisor, Victor Grotlisch, who was portrayed as both sloppy and authoritarian, and who may even have unplugged the site's weather computer in an effort to eliminate a record of the wind speed at the time of the accident.

Lampson was found to be 3% negligent, mostly due to failure to provide clear crane operation instructions. Mitsubishi was found to be 97% negligent, because of its failure to monitor wind speed during the roof panel lift. The Milwaukee County Sheriff's office had originally placed the blame on structural failure, but the jury rejected their position.

It just so happened that a safety inspector was filming the crane as it collapsed. In fact, OSHA inspectors were investigating the site because of fall hazards.

The widows of the workers settled a lawsuit against the company handling the roof construction project, Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, for $57 million.

What happened? The same old story from numerous catastrophes: weather event + sloppiness. In this case, winds were gusting over 30 MPH, and management failed to heed the warnings of multiple workers who voiced their concerns about working in high wind. The crane boom was only rated to 20 mph. In addition, the crane had sank about a foot into the soil after initially lifting the roof section. At the trial, experts estimated the maximum safe wind speed for this lift to be 11 mph.

After the accident, various changes were implemented:

-A new crane with multiple anemometers and computerized load monitoring was installed.
-Mats were placed under the crane.
-Wind loads were more carefully calculated for all lifts.

A three-figured bronze statue was erected in honor of the three ironworkers who died in the accident.

Previously:

Heavy lift ring crane - video
Dutch trash collection crane - video
Motion compensating crane for moving cargo containers at sea - GIF
enormous oil rig crane
Skid steer dangling from crane, breaking concrete - GIF

More:

https://www.osha.gov/dcsp/success_st...struction.html
http://scholarship.law.marquette.edu...text=sportslaw
https://failures.wikispaces.com/Big+Blue+Crane+Collapse

**Bony** · Aug 20, 2018, 06:35 PM

When I try to view the video the screen is black, with the message "This video contains content from National Geographic, who has blocked in in your country on copyright grounds". ??????

Has anyone else been blocked? This is the very first time I've been blocked like this and I've seen countless thousands of clips from all around the world over several decades. Big brother at work again.

Bony

**will52100** · Aug 20, 2018, 10:01 PM

Remember seeing this not long after it happened, our safety guy was using it as an example since we used cranes a lot. I seem to remember, little fuzzy, might be another wreck, the main operator told them to stick it and left, and they put a noob in it to "get it done".

**wallaci** · Aug 21, 2018, 12:52 AM

Bony,

Seems to be blocked in Aust, at least.
Not the first time I have seen this message on other posted vids.

Brendon

**12bolts** · Aug 21, 2018, 02:26 AM

Yeah me too. No idea why Nat Geo would claim copyright on this?
But its viewable on plenty of other channels.

Just a couple to get you started

**MeJasonT** · Aug 26, 2018, 02:32 AM

I had the same problem viewing in the UK, I did what we all do these days and googled the video (found it elsewhere). I doubt Natgeo even own the copyright, the footage would have been surrendered to OHSA giving them the rights. They are a public service and their intention is to save lives and prevent accidents is it not. What do we hide safety information from society now unless you are rich enough to pay for it. Isn't that a contradiction as many of the major disastrous cases have involved the negligence and corner cutting of rich companies putting profit before people. I know more about this incident now than i did before this site made it a public interest topic, it made me look deeper into the incident. The families who suffered loss have now gained empathy from another person who would not otherwise have known about this accident, they are now very much in my thoughts. Thanks for sharing Jon.

If natGeo wish to own this Suffering and loss and would in all likelihood make money from ownership should they not consider themselves responsible and make payment to the widows also. It reminds me of the unfortunate comment a Royal Navy Captain made (HMS Bristol i think it was ? -a type 82 only one in its class for the very reason it was badly designed)

There was a fire on board in harbour and authority was handed over to the shore services. Once the fire was put out and the authority of the vessel was handed back to the Captain, he thanked the shore side services and said I take full responsibility. At he Court Marshall this was taken to mean he was responsible for starting the fire not that he was accepting back control of his ship. NatGeo are saying "we own this disaster", ummm their words not mine.

The toolbox talk for the next stadium roof should take into account that cranes do fall over from time to time and perhaps consider the man basket crane being placed at the opposite side out of the lifting cranes arc. I cant believe this happened in 1999 I had on occasion worked on American Oil rigs at that time and a lot of attention was paid to working safely around crane operations.

I will now always remember these three guys thanks to this post and my heart goes out to their families.