BEFORE yesterday’s crash, Merseyside saw at least 11 other high-profile crane accidents since 2006.

March 3, 2006 – St Paul’s Road, Wallasey – Kier North West – A mobile crane overturned while de-rigging, coming to rest on its counterbalance.

April 5, 2006 – Park Road West, Southport – Newfield Jones Homes Ltd – The boom section of a tower crane collapsed.

September 9, 2006 – Liverpool Arena, Liverpool – Watson Steel Structures Ltd – The securing bolts on a beam failed, resulting in the load sinking one metre to the floor.

September 4, 2006 – Rathbone Hospital, Mill Road, Liverpool – Graham Jones Crane Hire – The jib of a mobile tower crane unfolded in an uncontrolled manner, striking a security fence at the site perimeter after a rope failed.

December 13, 2006 – Lord Street, Liverpool – Laing O’Rourke – A gust of wind caused an uncontrolled jib movement. The tag line to the load became snagged, resulting in excessive tension on the load, causing the lifting point to fail.

January 15, 2007 – Colquitt Street, Liverpool – Iliad – Father-of-two Zbigniew Roman Swirzynski was struck by a 2.4-tonne concrete counterweight which fell from a crane. Winds of 82 kilometres per hour – 10kph above safe speeds – were whipping past it at the time.

February 12, 2007 – Richmond Park, Liverpool – Space 4 Ltd – One of two lifting clamps released resulting in a timber frame panel falling 20ft.

February, 2007 – Lingley Mere Business Park, Great Sankey, Warrington – A crane driver had to leap for safety after the machine he was operating overturned. The 5.7-tonne beam being lifted into place also narrowly missed two employees as it fell. Two construction firms were fined £20,000 each.

March 29, 2007 – Wavertree Technology Park, Liverpool – Richard Thornton, 46, was killed when an overloaded crane collapsed on top of him.

December 4, 2007 – Southport Wastewater Treatment Works, Marine Drive – Dearden Formwork & Steelfixing Ltd – The tractor unit of a de-rigged crawler crane became unstable when an unauthorised driver tried to reverse.

March 24, 2009 – Hilton Hotel building site, Liverpool One, Liverpool – Kier Build – A huge forklift truck smashed to the ground metres away from four workmen. The JCB forklift careered to the floor with its arm extended.