11.06.2012

Lack of harness proves fatal

A man was thrown to his death after the vehicle mounted aerial work platform he was working from struck a bridge on Cantonment road, Singapore on Friday.

Nazrul Ali, 29, was working at a fixed height hanging banners from street lamp posts whilst the lift was driven from post to post by a colleague.

The driver overlooked the effect of driving under a bridge would have on the man above, even had the boom been low enough. The dynamic effect of the collision threw Ali, who is employed by Singapore engineering and graphics company Allmaster Enterprise, a distance of around four metres.

He was taken to hospital but died later after succumbing to head injuries caused by his fall.
Please register to see all images

Thrown to his death after mounted aerial work platform clipped a bridge

Vertikal Comment

If this had not ended so tragically this would have been a candidate for our Death Wish series. Not wearing a harness in a vehicle mounted lift on the public highway is bad enough, but saving time by allowing the lift to be driven while a man is above borders on reckless.

One wonders if this was normal practice or a one off ? We have certainly highlighted examples of this happening in the past, but few end so tragically. One has to think that neither of the two men involved were properly trained or instructed in the safe use of the equipment they were given to use.

Hopefully the Singaporean authorities will publicise this case in order to send a message out to all those who think that this is an efficient and safe way to work.