An unloaded steel wire rope sling dislodged from the ramshorn hook on the main block of a 150 tonne crawler crane, falling approximately 30m and striking an employee, causing fatal injuries.
While the crane was being manoeuvred to a lay-down location, the crane operator spragged to change direction, causing the sling to swing erratically and causing a sling to pass over the spring-loaded safety latch on the ramshorn hook, releasing the sling from the ramshorn hook.
The crane operator was preoccupied operating the crane and did not see the rigger in front of the crane directly under the hook load.
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