Alimak Investigates Sweden Accident, Reports Errors

After five people died in the fall of a construction site elevator in Stockholm, Sweden, on December 11, Alimak Group sent three senior experts to the accident site for observation, along with investigators from the Swedish Accident Investigation Authority and the police. The hoist used in the accident is an Alimak Scando 650, a standard lift used on construction sites to transport passengers and materials at height, which has been manufactured in the thousands and used on construction sites every day all over the world for the past 20 years. Based on the observations made, Alimak concluded that two of the mast sections holding the hoist in place were not bolted together, which may be the reason the hoist car fell to the ground. This is a significant deviation from the installation instructions, Alimak noted. The installation was not carried out by Alimak Group. “Upon installation, there is an installation manual with clear instructions. In addition, there is an operator and maintenance manual that also includes daily safety inspections to ensure that the hoist works as intended. I want to emphasize again the importance of following the instructions that come with the product during installation and use,” said Ole Kristian Jødahl, CEO of Alimak Group.