Truck crane snap kills woman tree trimmer

A woman tree trimmer has been killed after the arm of a crane truck suddenly snapped, sending the platform on which she and a male colleague were working crashing five meters on to the vehicle.

Tsang Choi-yu, 55, and a 46-year-old colleague surnamed Chan, who suffered a waist injury, were clearing branches for the Leisure and Cultural Services Department on Water Street in Western at about 9.30am yesterday when the accident happened.

The pair were artisans from the Hong Kong West Tree Team under the department.

Video clips show the platform plunging and swinging before crashing into the truck. The truck shakes and components are seen falling to the ground.

Both trimmers had their safety belts on, but Tsang was seen hanging off the platform.

Other colleagues climbed onto the truck to prevent Tsang from falling. She was unconscious when firemen rescued her. Tsang was rushed to Queen Mary Hospital and certified dead later.

The accident is believed to have been caused by a malfunction of the hydraulic system, said Lo Kok-keung, a lecturer in traffic accident reconstruction at Open University.

He said the platform fell from at least four meters at a speed of 31 kilometers per hour, snapping the jib, which made the platform fly and crash into the mobile crane. The hitting force may be as high as 63 kilos, which could fracture the skull if the workers had hit metal.

"The safety belt only helps you from falling from the working platform, but this time they couldn't help as the workers fell together with the platform," Lo said.

Lo said there are guidelines from the Electrical and Mechanical Services Department saying workers should check the hydraulic system thoroughly before operation to prevent accidents.

Siu Sin-man, chief executive of the Association for the Rights of Industrial Accident Victims, expressed sorrow over the accident. She said the association had sent representatives to the hospital to assist Tsang's family.

Siu urged the government to introduce a licensing regime to replace the current training program to enhance operators' skills in operating working platforms.

The government's guidance notes on safe use of power-operated elevating work platforms says operators should be at least be 18 years old and have undergone training for the platform.

They should ensure that the platforms are in good operating condition before the operation, while platforms should be thoroughly examined and tested by competent examiners at least once a year.

The Labour Department said it sent representatives to the scene upon receiving the report and is conducting an investigation.

eunice.lam@singtaonewscorp.com