Had a 200-ton boiler drum drop strap snap mid-lift at the Port Arthur refinery last year

Was working a turnaround at Motiva in Port Arthur, Texas. We were using a 300-ton crane to set a boiler drum when one of the lift straps just let go. Dropped maybe 2 feet before the backup caught it. Everyone froze. My foreman started yelling to stop the lift. I kept the crane steady and had the riggers swap out all the straps with new ones before we went again. Took an extra 2 hours but nobody got hurt and the drum was fine. The internet says you should always inspect straps before lifts, but in the field you get rushed. Anyone else ever have a close call like that on a big lift?

2 comments

2 Comments

jesse_burns812d ago

That backup strap probably saved more than just the drum that day.

oliver_torres411d ago

Yeah, "backup strap" is close but I think what you're thinking of is actually called a secondary retainer or safety cable. Straps are what hold the drum up, those backup things are just there in case the main strap snaps. I've seen one catch a floor tom mid-fall before, it's wild how fast they break without it.