28.07.2009

Set up checks prove their worth

Conducting proper set up checks with an aerial lift, prior to starting work, may have prevented a serious accident yesterday at the Clover Centre walk-in clinic at Great Western Hospital, Swindon, England.

The failure which was related to one of the main boom pivot pins, occurred while the machine was being set up in preparation for window cleaners, employed by Lingwoods of Reading, to clean the building’s façade. A job that they carry out every three months or so using the same lift.
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The lift after the incident

The operator, employed by the machines owner Orion Access Services, appears to have conducted a textbook procedure, having set the machine’s outriggers, cordoned off and raised the boom to operate the main functions from the ground before starting work.

As the boom was being raised we understand that the pivot pin came out of its bearing on one side of the superstructure frame, causing the boom to twist and lean towards the building. None of the men were in the crane’s platform at the time.

As soon as the failure occurred one of the men went into the building and alerted the occupants, and suggested they evacuate the building as a precaution.

The platform, a Bronto S46 XDT supplied by Kent based Orion, remained in place yesterday in while the manufacturer’s technical representative carried out an initial inspection of the failure along with Orion staff.

Paul Morris, operations manager for Lingwoods, is quoted in a local newspaper as saying: “We do this job every three months and the first thing we do before starting is extend the lift to see that everything is in working order. Something like this is exactly the reason no-one goes in the crane before the safety checks are done.”

Vertikal Comment

Anyone who has completed an IPAF operator training course will know that before starting work each morning you ought to carry out a full inspection of the machine and check that everything is working properly before starting work.

However… I would wager a considerable sum that most operators do not do so, and as someone who has used platforms myself I would have to plead guilty at times to having bypassed this procedure.

I this case if nothing else it saved the operators from a nasty fright and being stranded and of course it could have been so much worse.

A pivot pin failure is a very rare thing indeed, especially on a high quality well proven machine operated by a reputable company. However as this incident goes to show it can happen, although at this stage it is still hard to imagine how and to have any certainty over what occurred.

One thing though is clear, having good working practices and well trained operators is priceless.