QLDcommunity

Cameron, Michael James

Deceased

Michael James Cameron

Demographics

57y, male

Date of death

2012-03-01

Finding date

2015-02-09

Cause of death

Massive soft tissue and bony injury from crush injuries sustained when a transmission tower section fell on the deceased

AI-generated summary

Michael James Cameron, a 57-year-old experienced crane operator, died when a transmission tower section fell on him during a lifting operation. The crane's free fall function was supposed to have been disabled two years earlier by installing a lock-out bar, but the bar was attached to the incorrect side of the toggle switches, leaving the crane capable of free fall. Despite multiple technical inspections by qualified engineers and CraneSafe, the incorrect installation was not detected. The evidence suggests the operator inadvertently brushed the brake pedal, activating free fall. Critical lessons include: the need for proper verification of safety-critical modifications against manufacturer manuals; testing of free fall functions during all major and routine inspections; and standardized national regulations for free fall mechanism disengagement rather than relying on state-based codes.

AI-generated summary and tagging — may contain inaccuracies; refer to original finding for legal purposes.

Specialties

occupational and environmental health

Error types

procedural system

Procedures

crane lifting operation load hoisting with auxiliary winch

Contributing factors

lock-out bar installed on incorrect side of free fall toggle switches
free fall function not actually deactivated despite intended installation
failure to detect incorrect installation during multiple technical inspections
inadequate verification of lock-out installation against manufacturer manual
non-illumination of indicator lights not recognized as warning sign
confusing panel labeling with 'Free' and 'On' positions
no testing of free fall function during routine or major inspections
deceased positioned directly under suspended load during lifting operation

Coroner's recommendations

Australian Standards committee should review mobile crane standards to consider amendments including: how free fall mechanisms can most effectively be made inoperative; if free fall capability is to remain, how functions can be unambiguously signed and locked out when not in use; and provision of appropriate certification by relevant experts that such functions are safe and adequate
CraneSafe should review its inspection program to include inspection and testing of the free fall function and appropriate safety features against the operations manual if such functions are capable of continued operation
Regulation of free fall functions and safety features on cranes should be consistent across states through amendments to Australian Standards rather than relying on voluntary state-based Codes of Practice

Full text

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Source and disclaimer

This page reproduces or summarises information from publicly available findings published by Australian coroners' courts. Coronial is an independent educational resource and is not affiliated with, endorsed by, or acting on behalf of any coronial court or government body.

Content may be incomplete, reformatted, or summarised. All court orders for redaction and non-publication are respected; documents with technically defective redaction have been excluded from the database entirely. Always refer to the original court publication for the authoritative record.

Copyright in original materials remains with the relevant government jurisdiction. AI-generated summaries and tagging are for educational purposes only, may contain inaccuracies, and must not be treated as legal documents. We welcome feedback for correction —