130ft MEWP Fatality

[T14EES T14UNK]

I always take an abseil kit (-:

 

In your case Dean, wouldn't you be better with a pair of wings.

 

Sorry...I'll get me coat:blushing:

[Dean Lofthouse]

Hahaha...... and you've never tipped a mewp over (-:

[T14EES T14UNK]

Wings not needed in my case. Just a brain would suffice.

[likeitorlumpit]

More MEWP issues

I've been stuck up in one over a house when the battery went dead after being charged constantly for 4 hours.

I suspect the hire companies don't do the proper checks- but could I prove it.

Good call on taking abseil up with you or at the least a long rope. Not sure whether being harnessed in is good thing or not. Anyone got feelings on this.

[Dean Lofthouse]

Sometimes I anchor in, sometimes I anchor to the tree sometimes not at all.

 

If I'm going to the edge of the working envelope or i dont trust the ground conditions, I tend to temporarily anchor to the tree, the mewp can fall over if it likes then. If I'm doing connies and they are relatively low I don't bother

 

I tend to exit the basket a lot, on higher stuff so always have my climbing line to hand.

 

If you look at the op, the basket trashed some scaffolding on the way down which may have caused ejection from the basket of one of the occupants.

 

It's a bit like the seatbelt argument, you are much more likely to survive if you are anchored in. However, I disagree with anchoring whilst tracking or driving the mewp from a to b with a fall arrest harness on

[Big 'Ammer]

We don't know the circumstances of what actually happened to the men whilst the accident happened, so we can't speculate on how they were actually injured.

 

 

 

 

 

What I do see time and again on sites, is other trades using MEWPS and sure, they'll maybe have a harness on, but with a Fall Arrest pack and lanyard.

 

If I ask them, they shrug and say its what the boss has issued them with

 

Mewp operators should have a short Fall Restraint lanyard to hold them in the basket in the event of an incident.

 

I'd rather not wear one at all than wear a fall arrest pack.

 

I don't fancy being ejected from the basket and then being fastened 10 feet on the outside of the basket like a giant conker on a string as it goes down.

 

It would be like a medieval trebuchet.

 

At least if your still held in the basket, you have some light protection.

 

I always wear a work postioning harness with a short lanyard, I can then add a rope and access the tree if I want to.

 

If I'm working at three metres or less, say cutting a hedge, I won't bother.

 

If I'm working over water i won't wear one either.

[Backpain]

My heart goes out to the families of all involved.

 

Spare a thought for the poor design engineers who signed off the calcs.

 

We all do difficult jobs and much of the brainwork in modern engineering is done by computer modelling. Thats why these machines are so financially viable. They've stripped out as much metal as possible, just like a plane. I don't like mewps and never will.

 

My harness was designed in Germany....enough said.

[Nellybelly]

i'm with you there fella:thumbup:

 

There's something really satisfying knowing that a piece of german engineering has got hold of me

[Backpain]

i'm with you there fella:thumbup:

 

There's something really satisfying knowing that a piece of german engineering has got hold of me

 

Not so sure about the carabiners from Wales

 

Not really they've kept me alive for the last 25 years..

[Backpain]

i'm with you there fella:thumbup:

 

There's something really satisfying knowing that a piece of german engineering has got hold of me

 

Quite similar to having a German woman with her hold on you!

 

Firm, tight and no chance of escape