04.06.2015

Bucket truck drops tree trimmer

A man was seriously injured yesterday after a lift cylinder on a truck mounted lift failed, dropping the bucket to the ground.

The man, Joe Henry, 41, was working from a 2006 Altec lift in the Springdale area of Pittsburgh when the rod on the main lift cylinder sheared, allowing the pole type top boom to drop while he was using a chainsaw. He suffered four broken ribs, a collapsed lung, a broken wrist and a head injury above the right eye.

Henry was working for Mike's Tree Service, trimming some large conifers around an industrial premises and was around 12 metres up when the incident occurred. He was harnessed into the platform at the time. An OSHA inspector has visited the scene and made plans to have the lift cylinder inspected and tested.
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This photo clearly shows the damaged lift cylinder