OLD CRANES CAUSE FATAL ACCIDENTS

[Anchor Lead]

Container cranes operating in Busan Port, the largest export port in Korea, are reportedly more than 20 years old. The aged cranes have caused several accidents but more may be on the way as there are no criteria for endurance expectancy.

[Pkg]

A large container that should have been loaded onto a truck has fallen to the ground. The container fell from a crane, killing an unloading worker below. The main cause of this accident that occurred three years ago was a crane that had been in use for more than 20 years. Its brake failed to work in time and prevent the container from falling. Cranes nearly 40 years old are still in operation at this wharf. Circumstances at other wharfs are not all that different. A total of 174 quay cranes and container cranes are in use at the Busan North Port. More than half of them are categorized as time-worn equipment over 20 years old. The issue is that aged cranes are more likely to cause accidents. Over the past three years, there have been six accidents where objects fell from unloading quay cranes. Aging cranes were the key cause of these accidents as well. Unlike the tower cranes used at construction sites which have a mandated operation cap of 20 years, port cranes are not governed by any specific time limit on their use. A port crane can be used almost indefinitely as long as it undergoes regular safety inspection that is considered mandatory only twice a year. Experts agree that a comprehensive set of measures such as equipment enhancement is needed to prevent future accidents.

[Soundbite] Oh Hyeon-su(Prof. Korea Port Training Institute) : "Additional reinforcement to enhance the performance is needed. There also should be a paradigm change for unloading methods so that workers can unload shipments safely."

The Busan Port Authority explained that the maintenance and repair of the cranes is the responsibility of each port operator. The BPA also claimed that it is hard to force private businesses to replace or repair cranes since the equipment costs tens of billions of won.