19.10.2011
Cranes and platforms assist in eviction
Police in the UK invaded an illegal traveller’s site in Dale Farm Essex today following a 10 year legal battle to evict the owners and remove unplanned development.
The police used truck mounted aerial lifts and at least one crane to remove protestors from a makeshift scaffold tower that had been built over the main exit to the site.
Please register to see all images
The Facelift platform with riot police moves in on the tower and the protesters
In addition to a large truck mount rented from Hickstead based rental company Facelift, a mobile crane was used with an unusual suspended platform that resembled a jail of some sort.
Click here to view a news video from the BBC
Please register to see all images
Police bundle a protester into this austere looking suspended platform
Having watched the video on your website the use of a lorry mounted platform used to evict protestors from the Dale End Farm site, I would be interested to see whether you and your readers are concerned to have watched what I would describe as a total lack of adherence to the Working At Height Regulations.
The lorry mount appears to have at least a minimum of five police officers in the basket. Working on the basis of each person being 180kg, that works out to a total workload of at least 900kg (in reality I suspect that this is well over 1,000kg) the maximum capacity if this machines is either a Bronto 46DXT or a Bronto 56XDT which at its optimum outreach has a capacity of 600kg, to make matters worse you can clearly hear and see that they are intending to use the machine to pull demonstrators off the structure and therefore increase further the already overloaded work platform.
In addition to exceeding the platform capacity it is obvious that not all of those within the platform are wearing a harness or if they are whether they are attached.
The machine appears also to be operated from the ground, which brings into question whether given the proximity of the scaffold structure and the potential to cause a catastrophic accident by failing to see clearly (red material used over the front of cage) whether this is a safe system of work to employ.
I would be very interested to see a copy of the method and risk assessment for this operation.
I suspect that the opportunity to get some free publicity (questionable whether helping evict children from their homes is good business) overtook common sense here.
The company website devotes a significant part to its health and training credentials so it is surprising that they should feel that this flagrant disregard for people’s safety should be broadcast for all to see.
A concerned powered access employee.
Response:
We were concerned to see what appeared to be several examples of poor practice, the platform certainly looked overloaded and worse still was the way the suspended crane platform was being used in this effort.
We were encouraged that most of the police, if not all had harnesses on and generally appeared to be using them. A large scissor lift with roll out deck extension might have been a more appropriate piece of equipment?
One thing that is highlighted is that the police ought to look at how they might use such equipment in the future in advance of the requiement.
It is interesting to note that at one time each police force in the UK received a copy of Cranes & Access magazine – given that they frequently need to source cranes and platforms for emergencies, not to mention work on their own premises etc…
In recent years as staff have changed over several of them have said that they do not require such information – perhaps they should re think?
Ed