13.09.2012

Crushing incident in UK

A man was rushed to hospital yesterday in the UK after he inadvertently trapped himself between the platform he was using and an overhead crane.

Richard Mintram, 44, an electro-mechanical maintenance technician was believed to be using a boom lift at the premises of waste disposal company Tradebe, on the Charleston Industrial Estate, near Hythe, Hampshire, when he moved the platform into a position where he was crushed against the control panel/guardrails of the machine.

Colleagues were quick to act and managed to free him before the ambulance service arrived. He was airlifted to Southampton Hospital with suspected fractures to his spine and neck. His condition is stable, police said.

The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) is investigating the incident.

Vertikal Comment

We do not know enough about this incident yet to make any comment, apart from to say that it is encouraging that this man’s colleagues were able to bring him down and free him from the crush situation.

All too often those working on the ground or alongside have no idea how to operate the machine resulting in loss of life or more serious injuries.