12.06.2006

Operator dies in hit and run accident

A platform operator was killed last week, in the early hours of Thursday morning on the AP7 highway near Girona, Spain. He was using a vehicle mounted lift to paint the deck of a bridge at around four metres height.

He had cordoned off the immediate area, in spite of this a truck careered through the cones and hit the lift which cased the operator to loose his balance, and fall to his death.

It seems certain that the opartor, O.L Fabián, 38 was not wearing a harness.

The driver of the truck was unhurt and carried on in the direction of Barcelona. The police are still looking for him.

At the moment this is all the information we have. The accident highlights the importance of making sure that any such work is cordoned off well in advance of the work area. In this case the truck driver may well have regained control well before striking the lift.

In spite of this, although we do not have all the facts, it seems likely that Fabian would have survived if he had been wearing a harness with short lanyard.