21.08.2006

Man dies in work platform fall

A man from Lymm, Cheshire was killed yesterday morning at about 11.30 am when he fell from a truck mounted lift, whilst carrying out street light maintenance in Princess Way, Seaforth, Merseyside.
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A man died after the jib gave way on this lift

The 60-year-old man, a Highway Agency employee, was carrying out lighting maintenance work when the jib of the lift gave way, tipping him out of the platform, he fell almost 10 metres to his death.

Whilst the exact cause of the fatal accident is not yet known, it would appear that the upper arm, a telescopic artiulating jib, gave way, possibly due to some form of hydraulic failure, The operator does not appear to have been wearing a harness.

Merseyside Police and the Health and Safety Executive are carrying out a joint investigation until it is determined whether the incident was 'an industrial accident or one in which criminal proceedings may arise.

The victim, who has not yet been named, is the second man this month to be killed in Merseyside after falling from an access platform.

Ian Shacklady, a tree surgeon from Halewood, fell to his death last week while pruning trees in the grounds of Saint Agnes' church in Huyton.See Tree Surgeon falls to his death - August 17th