Report of Crane Collapse Released

The report of the tower crane collapse that occurred during Hurricane Dorian on Sept. 7, 2019 is now complete.

The report provides an overview of the investigation conducted by the Department of Labour and Advanced Education. It includes the findings with respect to the cause of the tower crane collapse and actions taken by the owners and operators as they relate to legislation, regulations and adopted safety standards.

“This investigation was one of the most technical and complex investigations the department has conducted to date,” said Lena Metlege Diab, Minister of Labour and Advanced Education. “The findings in this report have informed our immediate next steps and will allow Nova Scotia to set a new standard for tower crane safety in Canada.”

In 2019, government committed to developing a report and sharing its findings as part of the Department of Labour and Advanced Education’s investigation into the collapse of the crane.

The investigation determined that the crane collapsed as a result of a weld failure that was not visible in the lower mast section of the tower. When subjected to high winds during the post tropical storm, it caused the crane to collapse. A more detailed explanation can be found in the report.

The investigation also determined that the tower crane owner and operator met the provincial and Canadian safety standards, along with all provincial legislative and regulatory requirements to prevent the event from occurring.

Currently, Nova Scotia’s existing legislation, regulations and adopted Canadian Safety Association standards related to the operation of tower cranes are in line with all other provinces.

As a result of the findings, the department will be meeting with all tower crane owners and operators in the province to review the findings of the investigation and require that all crane masts be thoroughly cleaned, inspected and tested to identify any defect or deterioration immediately.

By partnering with industry and safety standards organizations to action these next steps, Nova Scotia will help lead new safety measures for tower cranes in the province and across Canada.

A copy of the report can be found at: https://novascotia.ca/lae/pubs/docs/Brenton-Suites-Crane-Collapse-Report.pdf

Quick Facts:

• there were no injuries as a result of the crane collapse
• work to safely remove the tower crane and debris from the Olympus building on South Park Street in Halifax was completed on Nov. 4, 2019
• the fallen crane was a Manitowac Model Potain 8520Ps
• in total, the crane weighed around 150,000 pounds