Repeated Small Tower Crane Fatalities... Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport Strengthens Qualification and Management

▲ Small tower crane toppled at a construction site in Yeonsu-gu, Incheon [Photo by Incheon Fire Headquarters]

[Asia Economy Reporter Chunhee Lee] From now on, operating a small tower crane will require passing a practical test to obtain a license. The Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport (MOLIT) has introduced measures in response to a series of safety accidents involving small tower cranes.

On the 10th, MOLIT announced that it will give public notice of partial amendments to the Enforcement Decree and Enforcement Rules of the 'Construction Machinery Management Act' containing these details.

Small tower cranes can be operated unmanned and have relatively simple qualification requirements for operators, leading to their widespread expansion at construction sites recently. However, since 2016, there have been over 30 related accidents, including a recent incident last month in Yeonsu-gu, Incheon, where a small tower crane toppled, resulting in two deaths.

To prevent such accidents, the amendment includes strengthening overall safety management of tower cranes, incorporating the 'Tower Crane Safety Enhancement Plan' announced in July last year and the small tower crane specifications confirmed through labor-management-civil-government consultations in October.

First, the specifications for small tower cranes will be detailed. Currently, the related standard only sets a lifting capacity under 3 tons, which has caused issues where general tower cranes over 6 tons are registered by simply reducing the lifting capacity. Going forward, detailed criteria such as the maximum length and maximum moment of the jib (horizontal structure), and installation height will be introduced in addition to the rated load under 3 tons.

Along with this, the licensing standards for small tower cranes, which currently require only 20 hours of training, will be strengthened. In the future, in addition to completing training, applicants must pass a practical test to verify their operating skills to obtain a license.

Safety management has also been enhanced. Tower cranes, which are currently subject to post-reporting, will be changed to require prior approval and mandatory inspection by the Korea Construction Machinery Safety Management Institute. The parts certification system, which currently applies to only two parts?hydraulic cylinders and brake linings?will be expanded to six parts, including mast, jib, weight, and foundation anchors. Regarding parts supply, manufacturers will be required to supply parts for at least eight years from the date of tower crane sale, and the replacement cycle and prices of parts will be disclosed.

Penalties have been increased as well. Unauthorized removal of overload prevention devices will be subject to criminal punishment, and the blood alcohol concentration limit for drunk operation will be lowered from the current 0.05% to 0.03%, aligning with the Road Traffic Act.

The public notice period for this amendment is until the 20th of next month. After regulatory review, it is scheduled to be implemented.

Lee Seong-hae, Director of the Construction Policy Bureau at MOLIT, said, “We expect tower crane safety management to be significantly strengthened through this amendment,” and added, “We ask for cooperation from the industry and related organizations to ensure that these measures are properly established at construction sites.”

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.