http://www.heavyliftnews...saved-by-their-harnesses

Lucky guys!!

Scary, but reassuring that the harnesses do their job.

Surprised no one has commented on the fact that it appears that the Boom was being used as a crane.

Best of my knowledge They are for transporting people and tools, not for use as, or to replace a piece of "Lifting Equipment.

Looks like a heavy piece of kit dangling, not surprised that something failed.

Rodger Ker

Not to be sceptical but was it not same make and modelet that caused the M25 fatality!

What is there to debate? Are you suggesting that someone might consider that wearing harnesses in a MEWP is not a good idea? I'm struggling to understand what there is in the thread of comments to debate.

The debate should surround the model of machine and why now in the U.S this happens when last year we in the U.Know had a fatality due to calibration problems. We on our site embargoed all this midel of machine. If you search there is quite a few problems with this mewp.
The debate is not around harness wearing as this should be a gimme.
Gary

Not a lot to debate here apart from misuse of equipment.This was being used as a crane as well as a transporter for men and equipment. There is not enough facts to go on here but SWL would IMO play a major role.Thankfully fall restraint probably used reading the facts we have to work on. The parts hanging below the basket are obviously part of the tower "look at the gap in the tower Therefore misuse. Ta Alex

ACHRN

Evidence glaringly obvious the panel, side cover is hanging from the basket.

Sorry Misuse not designed to carry loads slung underneath Wind sail problems. These will put strains on equipment that it is not designed for.

Very easy to tackle the problem A crane or something designed to lift things working alongside the MEWP with a man basket.

This task requires 2 machines one to take the cover of one to inspect.

Sorry not getting into fruitless arguments safety is paramount and safety was put into question here with lack of planning and misuse of equipment.

Have a nice day .Alex

No, I don't accept that. The cover is now hanging below the basket, there's no evidence that it was hanging below the basket before the fall. I would imagine a sequence of operation where you approach the panel, attach a restraint strap to the panel, then release the fixings and lift the panel into the basket. That would be a reasonable and safe sequence of operations for a sufficiently light weight panel, but if the basket drops during that sequence, the panel would be left hanging below the basket on the restraint strap.

A MEWP man basket is designed for lifting things - people, and a limited amount of tools equipment and materials to do work. There is no 'glaringly obvious' evidence that the design loads were exceeded. There is no 'glaringly obvious' evidence that the equipment was misused or the job not planned.

Would you use three machines to change the lamp in a streetlight? One to lift the lightbulb, one to take off the diffuser, and one for the man to do the work? I suggest that's not necessary, and find it hard to believe you would really specify two cranes and a mewp for that task. Assuming that you don't actually know the weight of this panel, why so adamant that this job needs more cranes?

I was trying to understand why you were so certain that they were misusing equipment. I thought we didn't know the weight of the panel, and didn't know what they were doing with it, but it's "glaringly obvious" to you that the work was unplanned and the equipment misused. You know, apparently, that the platform was being used outside its rated duty.

I thought maybe you had seen a more detailed report, in which case it would have been useful to share that information.