Analysis of the Complex Causes of Death Accidents Due to Mobile Cranes Using a Modified MEPS Method: Focusing on South Korea

Sanghyun Kim,Chankyu Kang

doi:10.3390/su14052948

Abstract

The convenience and efficiency of mobile cranes are expanding their applicability in industrial sites, but fatal accidents continue to occur as their use increases. There were 56 cases in South Korea from 2015 to 2019, killing 59 workers. To accurately investigate the cause of a fatal accident, accident investigation reports were used. Since they are used not only as the cause of the accident but also as a result of judicial treatment, only direct causes are mentioned. Thus, indirect causes in this study were separately analyzed to induce a complex cause analysis. The man-made, management, economic, physical, political, and social (MEPS) analysis method, developed by the National Institute of Disaster in South Korea, is a type of root cause analysis (RCA), used to derive the fundamental causes of various types of disasters, mainly social ones. The complex causes of fatal accidents were analyzed by applying a modified MEPS method to mobile cranes. The MEPS method investigated three categories, namely man-made, management, and physical factors, among six categories and a newly established level four, to find the root cause of fatal accidents. The analysis results showed that violations of procedures and regulations were the most frequent causes in the man-made factors. A lack of general and special safety education was the most common cause in the management factor, and the overturning, falling, and jamming of the mobile crane were the most frequent causes in the physical factor.

Highlights

Mobile cranes are widely used for transporting, loading, and unloading heavy goods in various industrial sites, including the manufacturing and construction industries [1]
74% of mobile cranes used at construction sites in South Korea are old cranes that are more than 10 years old; there is a high possibility of fatal accidents due to structural failures
In South Korea, tower crane accidents cause large-scale damage and have social impacts; special measures have been taken at the government level to prevent major disasters

Summary

Introduction

Mobile cranes are widely used for transporting, loading, and unloading heavy goods in various industrial sites, including the manufacturing and construction industries [1]. As the scale of construction increases and structures become high-rises in the construction industry, mobile cranes have become indispensable facilities in the construction process. This is because cranes can move by their own power and are specialized in transporting heavy loads [2,3]. Major disasters caused by mobile cranes continue to occur worldwide. Owing to their on-site mobility, mobile cranes are more dangerous than other types of cranes, such as tower cranes, overhead cranes, and gantry cranes, and legal sanctions in terms of safety management are being strengthened [5,6]. In South Korea serious disasters frequently occur, in construction sites and in various industrial sites, due to the use of mobile cranes

Methods

Results

Conclusion