Full Recall of Chinese-Made Tower Cranes Identified as Cause of Fatal Pyeongtaek Tower Crane Collapse Accident

In January, at a smart factory construction site in Pyeongtaek-si, Gyeonggi Province, the boom (support arm) of a tower crane toppled sideways, resulting in the death of worker A (58), who was working on the ground.
[Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Lee Chun-hee] A recall and sales suspension will be implemented for Chinese-made tower cranes identified as the cause of a recent accident that resulted in the death of a worker due to manufacturing defects.

The Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport announced on the 10th that corrective actions (recall) and sales suspension will be carried out for 237 units of six types of tower cranes imported and sold by three companies: K-Tech, Heights Tower, and HTS, after manufacturing defects were discovered.

The models in question are cranes produced by a Chinese tower crane manufacturer and imported. A recall will be conducted for equipment already sold and in operation, and a sales suspension order has been imposed to prevent further sales.

This measure was finalized following an investigation by the Korea Transportation Safety Authority's Automotive Safety Research Institute into manufacturing defects, as part of the probe into a tower crane accident that occurred in January at a smart factory construction site in Pyeongtaek, Gyeonggi Province, and after review by the Construction Machinery Manufacturing Defect Review Committee.

The accident involved the main jib of the tower crane bending and collapsing while transporting construction materials at the site. As a result, one worker performing concrete pouring nearby died.

The manufacturing defect investigation revealed that although the type registration documents specified that the jib connecting pin should be secured with a split pin, in reality, it was fastened with a bolt instead of a split pin. The accident was caused by the bolt-fastened connecting pin coming loose, causing the jib to bend and collapse.

Accordingly, the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport has instructed importers to conduct free recalls for equipment already sold. Regarding the equipment being manufactured differently from the type registration documents, a sales suspension order will be imposed under Article 29-5 of the Construction Machinery Management Act as a measure to enhance safety and sanction false type registration.

Comparison of Tower Cranes Subject to Recall Before and After Recall (Provided by Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport)

This recall will be carried out by machining holes to allow the installation of split pins on the jib connecting pins and providing split pins to strengthen the anti-loosening function. Free repairs can be received from the 10th until December 9 of next year at the K-Tech storage yard located in Choil-dong, Hanam-si, Gyeonggi Province.

Regarding this recall, the importers will notify construction machinery owners of the recall procedures via postal mail or mobile text messages. If the tower crane owner has already repaired the equipment at their own expense before the recall, they can apply for compensation from the importer. Compensation claims can also be made according to the importer's internal regulations if corrective actions are not taken due to the importer's fault. Detailed information can be obtained through the K-Tech management department.

Meanwhile, concerning the tower crane accident that occurred last November at a construction site in Dongnae-gu, Busan, manufacturing defects and issues such as false manufacturing dates were found in four units of the same model of cranes produced domestically. Fortunately, there were no casualties in that accident. The Ministry explained that the manufacturer is voluntarily acknowledging the faults and is in the process of deregistering the equipment.

Lee Seong-hae, Director of the Construction Policy Bureau at the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport, said, "This measure is expected to secure safety at construction sites by preventing tower crane accidents," adding, "There can be no tolerance when it comes to safety, and we will continue to strictly respond to any actions that undermine the safety of construction sites and construction machinery."

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