06.08.2004

Crane rescues man from Boom lift

A worker was seriously injured on Wednesday when the ground gave way under a JLG 600AJ articulated boom lift working on the new sixth form Joseph Wright building at the Derby college. The machine fell against the skeleton of the building where the platform hung up on the steelwork preventing it from falling further.

The 36 year old operator suffered serious arm injuries when the unit crashed into the building and was trapped in the platform. Colleagues quickly used a platform suspended from one of the cranes on site, belonging to Steelcraft to rescue the stricken worker. By the time he reached the ground he had suffered serious blood loss and shock and was taken to the Derbyshire royal infirmary where he is now in a stable condition.

The job site was immediately closed down and the machine cordoned off, the 25 construction workers were then sent home pending a Health and Safety Executive investigation. It is not known when the site will reopen or what caused the ground to give way.