PETALING JAYA, Nov 5 — The Department of Occupational Safety and Health (DOSH) is working to determine the factors that caused a piledriver crane to tip over yesterday.
Director-general Datuk Ir. Mohtar Musri said the construction firm was being investigated to determine if all procedures were followed.
“Piledriver cranes must be set up on ground with suitable stability due to the operation of the machine and its weight,” he said.
“Normally, they are supported by out-riggers or other means. It is possible the machine was set up on soft ground and its operation had caused it to tip over.”
Mohtar said in addition to operating procedures, it was necessary to assess soil conditions as there was the possibility the recent rainy weather had changed its composition.
“The ground may have become waterlogged, or perhaps its carrying capacity had diminished after the rain. These factors will be investigated as well,” he said.
He also said piledrivers were highly mobile pieces of equipment and unlike cranes, they were not regulated.
“Pile drivers are not subject to the buffer space requirements that cranes, especially tower cranes are subjected to. It was unfortunate the machine had tipped over and resulted in fatalities.”
Two people died on the spot yesterday when a piledriver tipped over onto a busy road in Setia Alam, crushing their car.
The incident follows an August 25 incident when a 500kg tower crane’s hook snapped off and crushed a car passing by the construction site in Jalan Raja Chulan, killing the driver.
