Ratchet straps used as 'makeshift' lifting loops in accident, expert says
Cranes Australia says photos from a crane accident show standard cargo tie-down ratchet straps being used as "makeshift lifting loops" to move glass panels that fell and injured three workers.
Last Friday, three men sustained injuries after glass panels crashed from a crane onto them at a government-funded worksite in Albury, New South Wales. Cranes Australia revealed that photos from the site showed ratchet straps being utilized as makeshift lifting loops to transport the glass. SafeWork NSW is currently probing the incident, with one young man in his twenties still in a critical condition at the hospital.
According to a national crane inspection firm, the images from the worksite in Albury display a serious violation of safety regulations, as glass panels plummeted during a lift and gravely injured the workers. The ABC reports that two heavy packets of glass panels plummeted from the crane onto the workers, leaving one in his 20s in critical condition at Royal Melbourne Hospital and another with severe but stable leg and back injuries.
The third worker sustained minor injuries. The union, CFMEU, stated that the worker from crane company WA Pickles faced a critical injury, while a Padel Concepts labourer suffered a leg fracture. Requests for comment were sent to WA Pickles and Padel Concepts. SafeWork New South Wales responded to the incident but declined to comment further while investigations were underway.
Samuel Ho, the director of Cranes Australia, which performs independent engineering inspections on crane safety and compliance, expressed concern over the images showing ratchet straps used as makeshift lifting loops. He emphasized that such straps lack the structural capacity to safely hold a suspended load and that certified synthetic webbing, chain, or wire-rope slings, along with safety latched hooks or rated shackles, should have been employed for the lift.
Mr. Ho stressed that using such equipment disregards basic site safety and high-risk work licensing rules. He warned that bypassing certified gear to save time or effort can lead to dropped loads and put worker lives at extreme risk. The ABC understands the site was developed for padel and futsal facilities, funded through NSW Sport and Recreation, but declined to comment.
The CFMEU, which inquired for crane inspection records, lift plans, and safety documents from the companies involved in the project, described the accident as entirely preventable.
Written by urgent.news from ABC News AU's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
