03.11.2006

Harness saves lives

A prison van ran into a JLG600AJ boom lift yesterday in central London, causing the typical catapult conditions that killed a 27 year old man in Manchester on Tuesday.

This time though, the two men in the platform were wearing harnesses and short lanyards and remained safely in the basket, sustaining nothing worse than bruises.

The lift was coned off but the superstructure was slewed 180 degrees to the road and its knuckle, or rather bottom boom (it is telescopic on the JLG) was protruding into the street. The van ran into the cones and hit the lift.

The two men who were badly shaken, were taken to hospital for a check up while the machines suffered slewing gear was badly damaged.