20.01.2011

Tram hits boom lift

A tram collided with the platform of a self-propelled boom lift in The Hague, Holland, yesterday the operator was only slightly injured.
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The scene after the impact

The lift, a JLG 450AJ belonging to Rotterdam based rental company Dornboss, was working from the street near the Valkenbosplein, when the operator is reported to have rotated the boom towards the Randstadrail 3 tram tracks and caught an approaching train.

The man was taken away by ambulance with minor head and arm injuries. The Lift was moved away from the track and the train was able to continue after a delay of around 30 minutes.
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The lift was moved away from the tracks and the tram was able to continue

Vertikal Comment

This accident could have been so much worse and while he may have broken his arm this lift user was very lucky indeed.

It does raise questions regarding his training and the hand over – had the man been trained? If so who by and to what standard? Was the unit handed over for street work? If so did the person doing the hand-over warn about working close to traffic lanes or tram tracks?

While there is a distinct limit to the control and therefore the responsibility a rental company can have over non-operated equipment – a good quality hand-over with the question asked about training, can make a significant difference. And IF a serious injury results from such an incident it can be traumatic and horrific for a rental company even if its machine is in perfect condition and all the paperwork is in order.

If there is anything that can be done in a practical manner to help avoid such incidents it is worth doing. The issue then comes down of course to charging a rental rate that allows this sort of hand over to be done properly.