20.09.2011

Scissor lift goes over in Gdansk

A reader in Poland has sent us information on a scissor lift accident in the centre of Gdansk last week.

We understand that there were three men in the platform of what looks like a heavy duty mini scissor, possibly one with an indoor only rating? The unit looks as though it was working at around 30ft/9 metres platform height. The photo is too poor for us to be certain of any details.
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The fallen scissor lift

All three men were injured in the accident, one of them seriously. The lift was being used to carry out renovations on a building in the street. If anyone has further information of what went wrong or to help clarify this report we would appreciate it.

Vertikal Comment

This is a very rare type of accident and one that is hard to explain, scissor lifts can actually gain stability when overloaded not lose it. The only things that are likely to cause them to go over are excessive side winds and excessive slopes or the ground giving way under the wheels. While these may have been present in this case it is not at all clear.