Metamorfose translates three reports by the Dutch Safety Board

Metamorfose Vertalingen is currently translating three sizeable study reports from the Dutch Safety Board (Onderzoeksraad voor Veiligheid) into English. The Dutch Safety Board, incorporated in 2005, is charged with instituting independent investigations into the causes of accidents. The purpose of those investigations is to prevent future accidents or at least to reduce their consequences.

The first report concerns an accident with a tower crane in Rotterdam on 10 July 2008. The crane had been erected on the building site of a tower block and collapsed without any obvious direct cause. The crane operator died in the accident. Extensive damage was caused, but fortunately no more people in the vicinity were hurt or killed.

The second report investigates the death of three fire fighters who were extinguishing a fire in a company shed in the village of De Punt (Drenthe Province). During their work, the fire suddenly and unexpectedly spread and closed in the fire fighters, who died of asphyxation.

In the third report, the Dutch Safety Board presents its investigation into the death of a member of a diving unit of the fire brigade in Terneuzen (Zeeland Province), on 12 March 2008. On that day, the divers were trying to locate a car that had reportedly ended up in the canal. During the dive, which had been commissioned by the police and the Public Prosecutor’s Office, one of the team members got into serious trouble. He died in hospital in Ghent (Belgium) shortly after.

Together, these three reports contain about 135,000 words. The English version of the report on the accident with the tower crane in Rotterdam is currently being finalised. The reports will eventually be published on the Dutch Safety Board’s website.