Cranes topple near Nelson in two related accidents

Press, 13 February 1982, Page 7

Cranes topple near Nelson in two related accidents

Nelson reporter Two more mobile cranes have been disabled in Nelson Province. One was on its way from Christchurch to recover the other when it toppled off the road. The latest incidents happened within a few months of the district’s heaviest crane plunging from the wharf at Port Nelson into a newly-built concrete piledriving machine. Last week a truck and trailer unit hauling two silos of cement from Tarakohe, in Golden Bay, smashed into the side of the Takaka Hill road when the vehicles’

brakes failed on the Motueka side of the hill. A crane and another truck from the Transmix Company a subsidiary of C. Gibbons and Company was sent to offload the silos, each of which contained about seven tonnes of cement. The crane lifted the first silo without trouble but then toppled over when it tried to lift the second, its burden crashing on to the cab of the second crane. A second crane later went to the scene, and most of the mess was cleared up, but the crane was unable to right the first crane because its retractable support legs were still extended. On Monday an 18-tonne crane belonging to the Christchurch firm, Paintin and Nottingham, Ltd, was brought from Christchurch to lift the crane still on the Takaka Hill. With the crane of B. K. Malcolm, Ltd, still out of commission after its plunge from the wharf last year there was no other crane in the province big enough to do the job. The Christchurch crane, being driven by the firm's managing director, Mr Graeme Paintin, was descending the Whangamoa Hill near Nelson when the road collapsed under it about 800 m on the Nelson side of the hill. The vehicle slid off the road, and rolled about three times .before coming to rest about 15m down the bank and in bush. Senior-Sergeant Allan Dando said that Mrs Paintin, who was in a vehicle in front of the crane, had driven towards Nelson to arrange accommodation shortly before the accident so knew nothing of what had taken place. The incident was reported to the Ministry of Transport by a passing motorist who

had seen the collapsed roadway and the crane in the bush. Traffic officers and Ministry of Works staff attended the scene but other than some blood in the cab of the crane there was no trace of Mr Paintin. He was later reported to have been taken by a motorist to Nelson Public Hospital suffering from head injuries and a

bruised hip. but his injuries were not sufficiently serious to warrant his being admitted.

The big vehicle was recovered in a very smooth 30minute job oh Wednesday evening.

However, the problem on the Takaka Hill remains — this crane won’t be lifting anything until the extensive damage has been repaired.