Crane driver kept his cool in the heat of burning cabin in the sky - Sydney Morning Herald

Lucky escape ... crane operator Glen. Photo: Channel Ten

IN A small cabin perched 45 metres above Broadway, the crane operator tried to extinguish a blaze as workers below looked skywards in shock.

But, as the fire grew bigger, the most daunting part would have been ahead of him: the decision to get back to the controls and move the crane boom to avert an even bigger disaster.

Crane Industry Council of Australia board member and crane specialist Ray Brenton, who is in Sydney to speak to those involved in the crane fire and collapse at the University of Technology site on Broadway on Tuesday morning, said the operator, Glen, was brave.

Crane fire and collapse. Photo: Nick Moir

''What takes bravery is that when you know the fire is out of control, getting back in that operator's seat and moving that boom around so it's not going to land in the street,'' said Mr Brenton, who has been in construction for over 20 years.

Mr Brenton, who is hoping to speak to Glen later this week, said climbing down from a crane cabin is tricky because an operator has to squeeze through a hatch door and onto the tower's ladder.

''Getting out of the cabin and climbing down … is the hardest part, it's quite constrictive.

Ultimo fire. Photo: Nick Moir

''And he would have been feeling the heat of that fire.''

WorkCover is investigating the collapse, which forced the evacuation of hundreds of people from the site and surrounding buildings, and stopped traffic on normally bustling streets.

The CFMEU state secretary, Brian Parker, said the crane was shut a fortnight ago for four days over concerns diesel was leaking from the cabin.

WorkCover inspectors have met emergency workers, union officials and representatives from Lend Lease, who manage the site, to plan the delicate operation to bring the crane wreck down.

The engineering operation will require the use of multiple cranes and there will be major road closures, but it was too early to say when that may occur, the spokesman said.

''WorkCover is satisfied that there is no further risk of debris or the crane falling from the building,'' he said. ''The crane itself will now remain safely in situ until recovery.''

Mr Brenton said the construction and dismantling of cranes is one of the most difficult and complicated parts of the job.

''When it's totally erected, it is more stable because there's a counter-weight at the back and there's a boom out the front.''

The National Tertiary Education Union called for a public inquiry into the cause of the crane collapse, saying university staff and students were among those at risk.

''At UTS many hundreds of lives were endangered,'' said Simon Wade, from the UTS NTEU branch.

''Our union, like others, has been concerned to learn that Lend Lease, which is responsible for the construction site, may have failed to prioritise safety.''

A Lend Lease spokesman said: ''Safety is our utmost priority for all concerned, for the workers, the public, and that includes the university staff and students.''