15.03.2013
Fatal scissor lift overturn in Florida
A scissor lift went over earlier today at Port Everglades in Florida, killing two and injuring a third.
The three men were using an older JLG scissor Rough Terrain lift to work on one of the air-bridges that are used for passengers to embark/disembark large cruise ships, when, according to those on the scene it just went over.
As far as we know the witnesses were only alerted to the incident when the platform struck the ground so no one so far has been able to say what exactly happened. Two men were declared dead at the scene, while a third was taken to hospital.
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The overturned scissor lift
The lift, a 40 or 50ft model, was reportedly working at a height of around 10 metres when it went over, the unit is equipped with levelling jacks, but they were not deployed – the lift was working on level ground.
It is possible – although it is pure conjecture – that the air bridge was inadvertently moved? Its wheels are facing in the direction of the scissor lift, and had it pushed on the deck, it could well have pushed it over. It is hard to understand what else might have caused the overturn.
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The platform came down right on the edge of the dock
A tragic incident – we hope that any lessons to be learnt are quickly communicated.
Vertikal Comment
In checking into this story, one commentator suggested that the two men may have been wearing harnesses. If this was the case, it raises a very serious issue, the platform landed right on the edge of the dock, and if free the men may well have been thrown into the water or been able to push off into the water as the platform came down.
Before taking this too far - they may well have been free and it simply did not work out for them. Hopefully that is the case and they were not wearing a harness and lanyard, it would be even more tragic – if that is possible – to think that a safety device might have contributed to their deaths.
vertikal editor
The following letter was received in our UK office this weekend.
Dear Vertikal,
In response to your comments in the article 'Fatal scissor lift Overturn in Florida’
posted on your news page March 15 2013, you make an observation that a safety device (Fall protection Safety Harness) if verified by later reports, may have tragically contributed to these operatives unfortunate deaths.
This accident will no doubt overshadow the proceedings at the IPAF summit and the
IAPA awards being held in Miami, Florida, in just over a week’s time.
Before there is a reaction to this story by duty-holders and operator end-users refusing to implement the wearing of safety harnesses on all categories of powered access, please let us review the current details that so far have been released.
IPAF and other industry sources provide guidance: “It is not normally necessary for personnel working from a vertical lift (scissor lift) to wear fall protection equipment,other than in exceptional circumstances. The need for a fall protection system will be the outcome of a job specific risk assessment prior to work commencing”.
I fear, as I am sure will many others reading this, that if safety harnesses were being worn, then it will have been through a lack of understanding to why, how and when this equipment should be worn and most likely it will be as a result of an uninformed or over enforced company policy.
If this site location had been anywhere else other than near to the edge of the docks
then the same sad fate and outcome for the operatives would probably remain the same, regardless to any inadvertent wearing of a safety harness.
If the work had been assessed and planned differently, taking into account the close
proximity of the water’s edge, then maybe there would have been a higher probability of the operatives surviving by possibly being thrown clear and landing in the water.
Though this in itself should not be seen as an effective control measure and would
certainly not guarantee the elimination of any possible serious injury or even death.
Tackling the root cause which in this case (though still speculative at the moment),
was most likely the result of an impact, should have been addressed by a thorough risk assessment, and implementation of all necessary and effective control measures.
Kind Regards
Alan Howes
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