22.02.2012
Truck mounted chancer
A reader in Scotland has sent us in an example of truck mount being used in the street with little regard for traffic or pedestrians.
It is probably best that we cover this in the words of our contributor.
“I stumbled across this disaster yesterday (last Thursday) in Coatbridge, Scotland. Not only was the vehicle sat on a blind bend, but there was no management of traffic or as you can see of pedestrians. I was shocked to watch a family, including their pushchair, squeeze through the small gap left on the pavement. Then the operator allows someone to leave the basket without a harness, both without hardhats. Any one of those passing lorries or cars could have easily clipped the boom or the vehicle itself. “
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The machine was set up on a downhill bend
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The platform user climbed out of the cage.....onto the roof
“Hard to believe that the contractor hiring the boom – xxx -is the local council’s choice for property maintenance of their housing stock. Another death wish passes with no one hurt, thankfully!!”
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Pedestrians were obliged to squeeze past under the boom
We struggled to open these files thus the delay in publishing, and unable to find a second source to verify the name of the contractor, so we have chosen not to publish it at this time. Although they know who they are.
We understand that the machine was rented out to a sub contractor who was responsible for the machine's set up and working.
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No attempt had been made to install traffic cones or cordon off
Sadly this 37 metre platform looks very well maintained, is clean and is well set up with outriggers fully set and on mats - albeit small for the machines size and the fact that it is a pavement.
But it is all spoilt for a lack of traffic management, apart from the flashing beacons on the cab roof. Although there was a man on the ground, possibly the operator/driver? Or the contractor's supervisor? He is wearing a Hi Viz coat and a hard hat and looks as though he is responsible for traffic management, but appears to be watching the men on the roof, rather than directing traffic or watching out for pedestrians.
A smaller spider lift working closer into the property might well have been a better solution to this job, depending of course on how long the work was due to last?
Hopefully the men in the platform were at least wearing harnesses when in the platform? And hopefully our correspondent had a chat with the them all about what they were doing wrong?
No question about it though this one it qualifies for our Death Wish series on a number of levels.
vertikal editor
The following letter was received this morning for adding as a comment.
Dear Ed
Having had a close look at the photograph of 1st access platforms machine in Scotland I feel I must write to inform readers of serious potential accident waiting to happen in the way the machine is set up in relation to the size of the spreader plate used.
The machine in use is a telescopic platform mounted on an 18,000kg chassis in which case it is capable of applying a force of up to 80% of the total weight of the machine on one jack leg, i.e. 18,000 x 0.8 = 14,400 kg.
The operator is using standard issue sole-boards of approximately 600mm x 600mm providing a surface area of 0.36m2 which are designed for use on solid heavily trafficked surfaces such as road ways and car parks, not pavements!!
The minimum requirement for a pavement for this size of machine would be approximately 1,100mm x 1,100mm 1.21m2 which is 3.36 times the surface area of the pad in use.
All users of heavy, HGV machines should equip their operators with larger / longer spreader plates for use on pavements / pedestrian areas..
The above figures are a rough guide and given without prejudice as a basic rule of thumb.
Currently I am working with IPAF and a firm of structural engineers to produce solid guidance on this subject which will be available shortly however I felt compelled to write this morning having seen the photograph.
Gordon Leicester