Bucket truck fatality

[daltontrees]

On 20/08/2021 at 14:23, Khriss said:

The Chinese do - obviously .

Dont like them . But definately aid getting up and down a lot of roadside trees . K

The chinese, superior engineering right up there with their human rights record. The caring employer.

[kevinjohnsonmbe]

On 07/12/2021 at 10:19, john87 said:

I think it is fair to say that many of the people that use these things are not the brightest..

I think there is a fine line which (probably) provides a divide between owner operator and hire-in users. 
 

I believe this on the basis that owner operator is a whole lot more ‘invested’ in training & safe use and proper inspection & maintenance than a hire in user might be. 
 

It’s just a ‘feeling’, unsubstantiated by data / stats but there you are. 
 

The biggest concern remains the apparent desire to drive the industry away from climbing and towards MEWP whilst not really acknowledging that the single weakest link is the user...

[john87]

47 minutes ago, kevinjohnsonmbe said:

I think there is a fine line which (probably) provides a divide between owner operator and hire-in users. 
 

I believe this on the basis that owner operator is a whole lot more ‘invested’ in training & safe use and proper inspection & maintenance than a hire in user might be. 
 

It’s just a ‘feeling’, unsubstantiated by data / stats but there you are. 
 

The biggest concern remains the apparent desire to drive the industry away from climbing and towards MEWP whilst not really acknowledging that the single weakest link is the user...

Exactly.. As i said, i used to repair these things for a firm, who at the time were, so far as i know, the biggest operator of a fleet of these things in the country. I can tell you that the hirers did not care a crap about either the machine, or their own safety. Even when they had been told not to use a machine and a new one was on its way, the muppets would wait until you had cleared off and carry on regardless. Worst offenders were those involved in demolition, they would demolish the machine while they were at it, [with them in it presumably]

 

john..

[Rich Rule]

And yet I have worked with many hired in machines from one of the largest contractors in the UK.

 

One of the machines we had on a weeks hire to do a lot of Large Lombardi’s on the A406 near Wembley.  The traffic management was very expensive, so downtime cost a fair bit.

 

The platform broke a few times that week.  Instead of providing a machine that was for for purpose, ie. it worked.  The engineer / technician basically showed us how to bypass the safety features and alarms to prevent the machine from stopping.

 

 

[john87]

1 hour ago, Rich Rule said:

And yet I have worked with many hired in machines from one of the largest contractors in the UK.

 

One of the machines we had on a weeks hire to do a lot of Large Lombardi’s on the A406 near Wembley.  The traffic management was very expensive, so downtime cost a fair bit.

 

The platform broke a few times that week.  Instead of providing a machine that was for for purpose, ie. it worked.  The engineer / technician basically showed us how to bypass the safety features and alarms to prevent the machine from stopping.

 

 

I know, you could not make it up.. The things have tilt alarms, so if you try to go up on uneven ground the thing will not let you. These are there for a reason, but do the operators care??

[Rich Rule]

I care mate.  I told the bloke I didnt want to know how to bypass the safety systems.

 

I just wanted a machine that was working correctly.

[john87]

I did not mean you!! i meant in general..

 

You discovered the next thing in the world of powered access; The so-called "engineers" are none too  bright either..

 

My role in fixing the things was limited to welding up the cracks and stuff.. Would i go up in one?? No chance..

 

john..

[kevinjohnsonmbe]

16 hours ago, Rich Rule said:

And yet I have worked with many hired in machines from one of the largest contractors in the UK.

 

One of the machines we had on a weeks hire to do a lot of Large Lombardi’s on the A406 near Wembley.  The traffic management was very expensive, so downtime cost a fair bit.

 

The platform broke a few times that week.  Instead of providing a machine that was for for purpose, ie. it worked.  The engineer / technician basically showed us how to bypass the safety features and alarms to prevent the machine from stopping.

 

 

By pass the safety features - absolutely staggering!

[john87]

6 hours ago, kevinjohnsonmbe said:

By pass the safety features - absolutely staggering!

Well, there you go.. They would just be trying to do what the VAST majority of hirers would basically have tried to bully them into doing.. You would not believe the state the machines would come back in either.. The firm i worked for, they would keep the machine on hire to you until such time as it was repaired [at your expense] and sue you for the money.. Saw it many times..

In the end they had a blanket policy of not hiring the stuff out to demolition firms..

 

john..

[Mesterh]

I know of two mewp fatalities, one I knew the other I heard about from a work mate who knew them. Both of them due to poor/non existent maintenance.

 

Used mewps and gienes plenty of times, they do have their limitations thats for sure but I presume that on the whole they are very safe. There are probably more platforms in use daily than there are arbs climbing trees tone hundred fold.

 

Nothing wrong with the machine but maybe it's not the greatest thing to use in arb due to how we use them.