Trimmer Falls from buck

[Carl A]

The trimmer who fell from this material handler on Monday had to be airlifted to the ER about 50 miles from where he was working. There is an article in the Athens, TN newspaper but it requires a subscription. If I can get some more information I will post it here but I think the picture itself tells a sobering story.

 

[PWB]

Do you guys have to have your stuff inspected? Bucket previously damaged, or was all that damage caused by a bad drop?
Lots of questions........

 

[Carl A]

Considering that it is a material handler with a maximum static load limit of probably 500 to 600 pounds, I suspect that it may have been the wrong tool for the job.

 

[xtremetrees]

Was he roping from the bucket. I have done it. But will never again.

 

[Komitet]

Hard to tell from the angle of the picture, but it looks as though the operator may have put pressure on the bucket against the limb behind him, my company had a high ranger fail like this about 9 years ago. Thankfully we have enough sense to wear fall protection.

 

[Robert Mickley]

It just amazes me the things people do with equipment. I worked with high reach equipment for about 6 years. Some of the things folks did to the equipment made me wonder how the lived through the day. Since he fell, he either wasn't wearing fall protection or it was faulty and failed or he ended up with rigging for the load entangled in his fall protection and it exceeded the fall protection's limits and the load pulled him down.