04.03.2011

Bus hits boom lift

A man is critically ill in hospital this morning after a London bus struck the platfrom of the boom lift he was working from, throwing him out of the platform and into the path of the still moving bus, which then dragged him several metres before coming to a stop.

We understand that the man, 31, suffered serious head injuries from his fall which occurred while he was working on the Midland Grand hotel refurbishment opposite St Pancras station in central London, around mid morning.
The lift was a large straight boom Genie belonging to Nationwide Platforms.
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The boom lift after the accident

The machine remained perfectly intact and stable after the accident, if the man, an employee of contractor Galliford Try, had been wearing a harness with a short lanyard he may well have escaped injury entirely?

The good news is that the man's condition has stabilised and from what we hear he is likely to survive.