Incidents : A broken crane hook was the cause of the accident in the Port of Rostock
During the course of tests in line with industry standards on 2nd May 2020 in the international Port of Rostock, the offshore heavy lift crane HLC 295000 was severely damaged following an accident.
According to OEM ‘Liebherr’, comprehensive investigations as to the cause and course of the accident are currently under way.
During an overload test of the offshore crane HLC 295000 from Liebherr-MCCtec Rostock GmbH a serious accident occurred resulting in two injured persons having to be taken to hospital for treatment. A further ten persons were treated by paramedics on site.
At this stage in the investigations, the responsible authorities and experts unanimously agree that a broken crane hook was the cause of the accident, said Liebherr.
The exact reasons as to why the hook did not withstand the load are unclear at this stage of investigations.
The design and manufacture of the crane hook was purchased from an external supplier.
A design or production error of the Liebherr crane can therefore be excluded.
The overload test for the HLC 295000 was planned for a load scenario of 5,500 tonnes. The lift should have been carried out through the hoisting of a barge. Carrying out an overload test is a typical procedure for the industry, whereby the crane is tested for its maximum lifting capacity.
Currently, known facts indicate that the incident occurred at a load of around 2,600 tonnes causing a chain reaction that led to the accident.
As things stand, the accident has no effect on day-to-day operations at Liebherr-MCCtec Rostock GmbH. According to initial estimates, the damage amounts to a high double-digit million figure.
