25.01.2016

Bavarian electrocution

A man working from a self-propelled boom died on Friday after a high tension overhead power line arced through him and the lift.

The man, 26, was working on the site of a new high cube warehouse being built for a freight forwarder in the town of Weisendorf, near Erlangen. His company was contracted to install safety nets into the recently completed steel frame.

He had placed a number of long steel poles in the platform and for some reason was driving it across the yard with the boom fully raised and partially extended. Driving in reverse he did not see how close the poles he was carrying - or for that matter the basket - would come to the power lines crossing the site.

The power arced towards the poles and the man caught fire. Colleagues immediately took another platform and raised it to the same height as they attempted to extinguish the fire, with the power lines still live however they dared not get too close.
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The man is finally rescued from the platform

The emergency services arrived, cut the power and brought the man down, he was then airlifted to a specialist medical unit, but died shortly after arrival.