Recently a major crane collapse in Alphen aan den Rijn, a town in the western Netherlands, caused quite a stir among locals. Two cranes were being used to move a bridge section while standing on a floating platform. The cranes collapsed. While no one was injured or killed, there was horrific damage.

It turns out that the crane operator did not know what he was doing and matters were further complicated by the choice of using a floating platform. One observer noted that hoisting with two cranes on land is “already a risky operation, let alone with a platform floating on water.”

What can be learned from this accident half a world away in Europe? Well, don’t be quick to blame cranes when things go wrong. Consider the people who are put in charge of running the cranes. In the Netherlands’ case, the crane operators were described as working “very unprofessionally and ridiculously amateurish.” The collapse wasn’t the cranes’ fault; it was the fault of the operator(s).

Crane operators need rigging knowledge, good hand/eye coordination, excellent depth perception, and common sense. Furthermore, crane operators need to have patience and never take chances or make an assumption regarding rigging, crane capabilities or crane set up. Just like an airplane pilot is responsible for making sure no one gets hurt, a crane operator also has to have the knowledge and experience to make sure the crane is handled in a way where no one gets hurt. Safety is of utmost importance, and proper training matters when it comes to successful crane operation.