Falcon Crane Hire has dismissed a crane driver for breaching safety rules in the week that a report about the fatal collapse of one of its machines was published

The employee, who had been sunbathing on a block suspended from a crane, was removed from his job on a site on Lime Street in the City on Wednesday.

The incident came to light after a reader sent this photo (right) to 黑洞社区鈥檚 health and safety blunder competition. 黑洞社区 then passed the picture to Falcon.

Falcon said in a statement: 鈥淎n internal investigation was immediately instigated which resulted in the crane driver being identified. On 6 August, the driver was dismissed and the Health and Safety Executive notified.鈥�

Blenheim House Construction, the contractor on the office refurbishment scheme, said it was 鈥渟hocked and disappointed鈥�. It said: 鈥淪uch disregard for his own and others鈥� safety and our policies will not be tolerated.鈥�

The news came as it emerged that the HSE had written to firms that work with cranes to urge them to improve safety.

The executive is investigating a Falcon crane collapse in Liverpool last year, in which a joiner was killed and a crane driver injured.

Such disregard for his own and others鈥� safety will not be tolerated

Blenheim House Construction

A report on the incident said an 鈥渋nadequate鈥� safety bar had failed to prevent the luffing rope coming free in high winds.

The HSE has asked firms to:

鈥� Ask crane makers if the Liverpool incident is relevant to their plant

鈥� Review equipment and systems

鈥� Provide relevant information to staff who operate and hire cranes.

The guidelines were welcomed by John Spanswick, chair of the Strategic Forum鈥檚 tower crane group. He said: 鈥淲e don鈥檛 want to just react to accidents 鈥� we need to establish root causes.鈥�

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