toppled over.

The 36-year-old Sandys man escaped unscathed after the crane crashed at the St. George's construction site.

Yesterday a full probe was launched into the accident off Cut Road -- the second one in five months involving a Gringley Construction worker.

And it occurred just ten months after 39-year-old Teddy Sewell died in a horror accident at Bull's Head.

Yesterday's crash sparked a furious attack on health and safety practices from Bermuda Industrial Union president Derrick Burgess.

He said the Health and Safety Department needed extra staffing -- and legislation beefed up.

"Has someone else got to be killed before we get some teeth in the law?'' But Public Safety Minister Quinton Edness last night defended the legislation.

"There are penalties already, and we have increased officers in the department.

"We need to increase communication. Our job is to continue training and educating people.

"We've put on various seminars for unions and employees. We need to continually promote and bring about consciousness of health and safety matters.'' Yesterday's accident occurred at about 10.50 a.m. as the operator was lifting a heavy container.

The crane toppled over, reportedly crushing a motorcycle.

"The operator jumped from the crane. This is being treated as an industrial accident,'' said Police spokesman P.c. Gary Venning.

He added he believed condominiums were being built at the site.

Yesterday, Gringley Construction declined to comment.

A woman, describing herself as the manager, hung up on a Royal Gazette reporter who phoned the company's Pembroke base.

In May, another Gringley Construction worker, Dennis Bell, was crushed under equipment weighing thousands of pounds.

He was working on the new school at Prospect when he was pinned to the floor by a bucket laden with concrete.

Just months beforehand, Mr. Sewell died after being trapped in his cab for 45 minutes when his crane toppled over and smashed into a truck.

Mr. Burgess -- stressing he did not know the circumstances of yesterday's accident -- said he was seriously concerned about health and safety standards.

"These accidents are happening far too frequently.'' Mr. Burgess said a lot of employers did not appear to be adhering to required standards.

"It should be a very serious offence when health and safety procedures are not followed.'' Mr. Burgess understood an extra officer had been assigned to the Health and Safety Department, bringing the total to three. But this was not enough.

Mr. Edness, however, retorted: "Health and safety legislation has nothing to do with it.

"We can't have a battery of officers watching every job site. What we can do is go round and tell managers about health and safety.

"It's a responsibility of workers and management to ensure good health and safety practices are carried out on the job.

"Mr. Burgess knows my policy is to continually review matters, but the current legislation is quite adequate.'' Mr. Edness added: "Only last week I drove past a job site where a person had been injured before and I noticed workers didn't have helmets on.

"I went to the Health and Safety Department and they sent someone out there.

"He had to threaten them and let them know what their responsibility is. Now helmets are worn.''