Crane Sweep Ordered at Brazil World Cup Stadium
Work has resumed on the site of a Brazilian soccer stadium where a crane fatally collapsed on Nov. 27, but a ban on crane operations is in place while the incident continues to be investigated.
Immediately following the accident, the regional superintendent for labor and employment of São Paulo, acting in concert with the Brazilian Ministry of Labor, issued an embargo of all crane work on the stadium pending a review of both the procedures and the equipment itself. Almost a third of the east building section remains off-limits as the investigation into the cause of the collapse continues.
"Once the company can prove the cranes are safe and the security measures have been adopted so that there is no more risk of accidents, they will be released by the Ministry of Labor," says superintendent Luiz Antônio Medeiros.
Two workers were killed on Nov. 27 when a Liebehrr LR11350 crawler crane fell while hoisting the final roof segment, weighing approximately 500 tons, into place on Arena Corinthians in São Paulo, Brazil. The $360-million stadium is owned by Sport Club Corinthians Paulista, and construction is being handled by the Brazilian firm Odebrecht.
The venue, also referred to as Itaquerão stadium, is one of six under construction in anticipation of the 2014 World Cup that will be held in Brazil next summer. It is slated to host the opening game of the soccer spectacle on June 12, 2014.
A total of nine other cranes were in use on the project at the time of the collapse. According to the superintendent, these must all undergo preventive and corrective maintenance. In addition, the specific work and safety procedures for the crane operators, inspectors and maintenance crews must also be reviewed and approved.
In addition to the crawler crane that collapsed, Liebherr provided other cranes in use on the site, including two 200-ton LTM1220-5.2 telescopic cranes and a 100-ton LTM1100-4.2. There are also sevreal Liebherr HC-series heavy-load tower cranes in use.
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Odebrecht is also required to submit a load-handling plan to the superintendent to arrange for the removal and repair of the structures damaged in the collapse. Officials with Odebrecht officials say they are still working on meeting the requirements laid out by the authorities and devising a proper plan to remove the wreckage from the collapse and commence repairs.
Work on the 70,000-seat venue began in 2011, and it was 94% complete at the time of the accident. FIFA, the world soccer organizing body, has set a year-end deadline for the completion of the stadiums hosting the World Cup.
On Monday, work on the stadium resumed with several hundred workers gathering for a prayer honoring the victims, Fábio Luiz Pereira, 42, and Ronaldo Oliveira dos Santos, 44. The 1,350 workers are now concentrating on completing the portions of the project not affected by the collapse.
