23.11.2022

Platform overturn

A man was seriously injured on Monday when the platform he was working from overturned in Bury, near Manchester, UK.

The man, 30, an employee of the local council, was helping erect a Christmas tree at Bury Market when the incident occurred. The lift - an UpRight SL20 - was almost full extended to a platform height of around five metres or so, as it went over. The man was thrown onto a glazed roof and crashed through onto the ground inside.
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The scene shortly after the fire and rescue service arrived

Bury council said: “Unfortunately there was an accident at Bury Market this morning behind Princess Parade, which has resulted in a member of the council’s staff being taken to hospital with leg injuries. We understand that equipment being used to help erect a Christmas tree on the market toppled over into the canopy of an adjacent shop. That part of the market was not open at the time, and the area was cordoned off. We informed the Health and Safety Executive and will be conducting our own inquiry into the incident. Our thoughts are with our colleague, and we wish him a speedy recovery.”

At first glance it is not clear what caused the overturn, the ground appears to be relatively flat, level and firm, overloading from within the platform does not usually cause instability on this type of lift. However, it is possible that the machine was being used to lift the tree by a rope around the deck extension, the evidence from the photograph we have received certainly suggests that this is what caused the lift to become unstable.
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Spot the rope