21.05.2015
Fatal boom lift overturn
A boom lift overturned in the town of Markham, on the north east side of Toronto, Canada, this morning killing one of the platform’s occupants and seriously injuring another.
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The machine was working in the street, close to an intersection
The boom lift, which looks like an 86ft JLG telescopic, is owned by United Rentals and was driving with the boom fully retracted and almost fully elevated. It was working on the side-walk/pavement when one of its wheels rolled over a large culvert/manhole, breaking through the cover and causing the machine to lose stability and overturn.
One man was declared dead at the scene, while the other was rushed to hospital with very serious injuries.
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The overturned boom
The JLG 860SJ weighs over 17 tonnes, and this configuration the wheel would have had at the very least five tonnes bearing on it, and if poly-filled this would have been concentrated on a very small surface area. The chances of the cover being able to withstand such point loadings was remote.
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It looks certain that the machine was driven over a manhole cover which gave way under the high point loadings imposed.
Sherm
This horrible accident spells mistake which smells of little or no supervision, little or no work planning, little or no safety meeting. Since the lift was rented I wonder what instruction was issued to the renter(s) before releasing the unit to them.
rooster
Our thoughts are with the families, but-having a banksman would have prevented this tragedy.