A crane collapsed in Croydon in the afternoon of Saturday 2 June during a climbing operation. The crane was operated by Select Plant Hire and the main contractor on the job was Haymills. The crane driver was injured and three workers had to be rescued from the tower.

The HSE said the prohibition notice requires Select Plant Hire to cease all. lowering or raising of tower cranes by use of climbing frame systems unless the work is conducted by people who have adequate training specific to the type of frame in use.

The executive said its investigation has established that the top section of the crane had not been connected to the climbing frame. The HSE said it continues to investigate this incident.

The incident in Croydon is the latest in a spate of crane collapses. The T and G union held a one-minute silence in Liverpool in April to remember a Polish worker who was killed in one of three crane collapses this year. A steel erector was also killed when a mobile crane fell over on a site in the city.