No charges for Phuket condo contractor as police deem fatal crane collapse an ‘accident’

The Phuket News


The Sakoo Police have deemed that the fatal crane collapse at The Terminal condo construction site last week was an accident. Photo: Eakkapop Thongtub

PHUKET: -- Police will not press any charges for the fatal crane collapse at The Terminal condo construction site near Phuket International Airport last week that killed one man and injured three others.

“Our investigation into the death and injury is finished, no charges have been filed,” Sakoo Police chief Col Jirasak Siamsak told The Phuket News.

Col Jirasak explained that the four men were assembling a tower crane when the accident happened. (See story here.)

“While they were attempting to connect the second section of the jib, the section they were adding slipped and fell onto the mobile crane below and then onto the building under construction,” he said.

“The crane part [that the men were adding] did not fall onto the men as reported, the death and injuries happened when they tried to avoid the falling debris.

“When the men were jumping off the mobile crane, Nikorn Tubtawee [the deceased] was crushed by a piece of steel and the three other men fell and injured their arms and legs,” Col Jirasak said.

Full story: http://www.thephuketnews.com/no-charges-for-phuket-condo-contractor-as-police-deem-fatal-crane-collapse-an-accident-57897.php

-- Phuket News 2016-06-17

'accident' my arse - likely no thought given to safe working practices, just the usual sloppy 'it will all be Ok' thought process...

I wonder how many baht was needed for that outcome????

Obviously the word 'negligence' is not in the Thai vocabulary.

No workplace safety laws in this country, I take it.

No workplace safety laws in this country, I take it.

Not even any 'lip service' - safety equipment and rules cost too mutt Baht .... why worry, it will all be Ok ...

Edited June 17, 201610 yr by LivinginKata

“Both the victims and the family of the deceased agreed that the whole incident was an accident that one one wanted to have happened. The company has been taking care of medical expenses and paid compensation to the family of the deceased,” Col Jirsak noted.

Perhaps this should read "After payment of compensation, the victims and the family of the deceased agreed to state that the whole incident was an accident."

Cranes do not fall down accidentally they fall down due to human error. If rigged correctly boom sections do not " slip " .

In all my years as a workplace incident investigator and sfety auditor I continue to be gob smacked by stories like this one. Shocked and stunned is probably more closer. I have read a copy of the industrial safety laws for LoS and you would probably fir the most pertinant sections on the back of a postage stamp. Couple that with the toal inadequacy of the investigators the whole exercise seems to be one of "oh dear, what a shame, never mind". It would be futile to think that western safety professional could teach safety in Los as it would fall on deaf ears anyway.My (Thai) son is a safety person on a construction project and is visibly aging every day.

Edited June 17, 201610 yr by Taffyfromflint

& in all my years in construction (oil/gas - gold -iron ore & ect it aint much different just covered up in other ways

They never get rid of the problem which is usually a person but put it down to something else

Many first timers & inexperienced people hired before experienced ones who actually end up being L/H or Supervisors

Could add much more & how these big international forms treat you like kids & idiots