25.03.2003

GSL scissors dangerous. Company ceases trading

Germany’s GSL, manufacturer of innovative and specialist scissor lifts, has ceased trading and issued a safety alert affecting most of the models delivered in the last 10 years. Nearly 2,000 units are thought to be affected.

The Braunschweig based company has written to German customers warning them that serious and dangerous quality problems have been found in the scissor module and with the brakes. GSL blamed the poor quality of the scissor unit on a sub-supplier and announced that it was taking legal action to gain compensation. However, it told customers that they should immediately stop using the following models: All S 88 and S 106 units built between January 1992 and March 1996 and all S 90, S 111, S 131 and S 151 units built between January 1992 and January 2002 inclusive.

GSL warned that poor quality welding could result in the scissor units breaking apart during usage.

The same letter advised customers that problems have also been found with brakes which could cause them to partially or totally cease working. Again the company is taking legal action against a sub-supplier. The following models are fitted with the potentially defective brakes: S 88, S 106 (Supplied between 1992 and March 1996), and S 90, S 111, S 131 (supplied between 1992 and January 2003).

GSL’s letter added that the company “has changed its name to Arbeitsbühnen-Zugangstechnik and moved to a new address”. A postal address (Industriestrasse 13-15, D-33818 Leopoldshoehe, Germany), was given for the new company together with the message that it could only be reached by post but would continue to produce a full range of access platforms.

Companies that have sold used GSL scissors to other companies are asked to urgently advise the new owners of the potential dangers. The company also that the extensive modifications needed to rectify the problems would require the machines to be re-certified.

“We are aware of the implications of this letter. We wish to give you a 100 per cent guarantee that we had no prior knowledge of these problems” said the letter from GSL.

* GSL’s former UK dealer, PJ Allan Sales, has written to all known customers in the UK and Ireland advising them of the problem. “We would advise anybody with one of the affected GSL models to immediately stop using it and to contact us for advice” said Phil Allan, managing director of PJ Allan Sales.