13.06.2015
Fatal hoist collapse
A passenger hoist collapsed last Thursday, while being installed on the outside of a building in North west Boston, Massachusetts. One was killed in the incident, while another was seriously injured and is in critical condition..
The installers had only installed a portion of the mast on the dual/twin, rack and pinion hoist, when one of the cars had climbed from the lower section onto the newly installed mast section when it broke free from the base sections, dropping the two men around six to eight metres or so, to the ground.
Ronald Morse, 40, of Shiloh Steel Construction died in the incident, while an employee of the hoist supplier, Liberty Construction Services was seriously injured. They were installing the hoist on the new office block being built by main contractor Suffolk Construction.
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The incident on Thursday in Somerville, Boston,
Sherm
Other than gravity and geometry, I don't know or understand the risk management issue that pertain to this kind of device. No doubt an investigation will reveal what caused the accident. Accidents happen but they just don't happen...they are caused. Liberty Mutual Insurance teaches this in their classes about recognizing accident potential and reacting to what has been observed. I took their class in 1973 and it has helped me many times to avoid a hazardous situation.