Cranes Accident Injures Seven at Imabari Shipyard

Seven people were injured—three of them seriously—after a crane accident on July 12 at Imabari Shipbuilding’s facility in Ehime Prefecture, Japan. The incident occurred just after 11:00 a.m. local time when a section of a ship under construction fell from a crane and crashed onto the ground within an active work zone.

Emergency services reported that three individuals suffered serious injuries, including broken arms and hip fractures. Four others, among them a bystander, sustained minor injuries. All were taken to a hospital and are currently in stable condition and conscious.

The accident comes as a new setback for Imabari Shipbuilding, Japan’s largest shipbuilder, which has already faced scrutiny this year for a series of labor and safety violations. Earlier in the year, the Immigration Services Agency of Japan issued a five-year ban against the company, prohibiting it from accepting or training foreign technical interns.

This disciplinary action followed an investigation that uncovered serious labor law violations at the company’s training centers in Imabari City. As a result, over 2,000 foreign workers—many from Southeast Asia—were transferred to other firms.

Following the crane mishap, the Ehime Prefectural Government dispatched investigators to determine the cause and evaluate the yard’s adherence to national workplace safety standards. Preliminary assessments suggest a mechanical failure may be to blame, though human error is also being considered.