Toronto’s second crane fall incident in three weeks

Anushka Yadav

A University of Toronto civil engineer professor says two crane collapses within a month demands safety protocols need to be reviewed.

“Having two (crane) accidents in one month, I think could be a call for a revision,” says civil engineering expert Tamer El-Diraby.

Emergency crews responded to a stationary crane fall in Regent Park neighbourhood on Thursday morning.

A stationary crane fell into the River Street and Dundas Street East intersection shortly after 10:30 a.m., Toronto Police said. This follows the crane collapse on July 16 in the Wellington and Simcoe Streets area.

No one was injured in either incident now under investigation by the Ontario Ministry of Labour.

Hazard
River St & Dundas St
-reports of a stationary crane falling into the intersection
-road closures in the area
-unknown injuries at this time@TorontoMedics , @Toronto_Fire
GO1466341
^mf

— Toronto Police Operations (@TPSOperations) August 6, 2020

“This latest crane collapse in Toronto is troubling,” said Ontario Labour Minister Monte McNaughton in a statement.

“Ministry inspectors will get to the bottom of this collapse and take appropriate action. I am very thankful no one was hurt,” he said.

Mayor John Tory echoed the minster.

“I am thankful that no one was seriously injured or killed in today’s crane collapse on Dundas Street East,” Tory said in a statement.

It is the second crane collapse incident in three weeks.

The U of T’s civil engineering associate professor Diraby said there is a need to “renew the rigour of inspection.”

He said the predominant problem in crane safety has been the “wrong loading” and overloading which needs to be checked.

Cranes need to be inspected regularly under severe weather and for faulty installations, he said.

Diraby assessed the photos and videos of the fall. He says it is an “unusual” incident where two bolts were “missing or broken, which means that the crane has had to rotate.”

Toronto Police says criminal activity has been ruled out as a cause of the collapse in a tweet.

The previous crane incident occurred on July 16 when a crane fell onto the top of an office building at Simcoe and Wellington Streets.

Ontario Premier Doug Ford said in a press conference on Thursday he has confidence in the Ministry of Labour and they will “get to the bottom” of the incidents.