14.09.2016
Sport or death wish?
NMT, the UK-based crane rental company, has once again ignored policies promoted by associations such as IPAF, the CPA and ESTA and supplied a large All Terrain crane for the UK Base Jumping Championships on the Blackpool seafront between the tower and pleasure beach.
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A view from almost 500ft!
Over the August bank holiday weekend a 700 tonne Terex AC700 with full luffing jib was used by 80 of the world’s leading Base jumpers jumping from a height of 146 metres or just shy of 500ft if you prefer - just 11 metres less than the height of the Blackpool Tower.
After leaving the basket at the top of the jib, the jumpers have about 60 metres of free-fall before deploying parachutes and using the remaining seconds to land on targets placed on the beach. The event - to be World AirgameZ Champion 2016 - was deemed a success and will be repeated on an annual basis.
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80 of the world’s leading Base jumpers jumped from a height of 146 metres on the Blackpool seafront
Base jumping - which stands for buildings, antennas, spans and earth from which jumps are performed - is one of the world's most dangerous sports. Unlike a parachute jump from a plane, Base jumps are done from fixed objects at lower altitudes. It is reported that there have been almost 300 base jumping deaths since 1981.
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NMT supplied a 700 tonne Terex AC700 with full luffing jib with a height of 146 metres
NMT has continued to supply cranes for activities like this since a run-in with IPAF at the SED show in Milton Keynes around 15 years ago. Rather than give-in to the pressure that built-up over the subsequent few years it decided to hone its skills and become more experienced in this type of service, teaming up in 2008 with the association Pro BASE.
See Cranes and base jumping
Crane01
I hadn't intended to comment,however having read the first few lines of this article I can only say,we were not ignoring policies.As stated this was carefully planned and executed.There was no access platform capable of reaching 146 metres and even at 100 odd metres (maximum platform height) , I know which basket I would prefer to be in.
The safety factor on the crane was 25:1
On a platform 5:1?
Almost 300 base jumpers killed since 1981,quite possibly, through there own risk taking,however I think, deaths due to access platforms is 3 times that number?
People who are stating BS7121 Loler reg 5 should read it.
"The raising and lowering of people by work equipment which is not specifically designed for the purposes "
What's a man-basket if it is not specifically designed for it?
Accessaccess
I would love to try this
no nick...
I have been reading items on this page for quite a while now and find it a useful tool to keep abreast of everything happening. I have never really felt the need to react but I do now.
Lifting people using a crane should not just be thoroughly planned, it should be exceptionally thoroughly planned. But as far as the principle goes I cannot see anything wrong with it.
BS7121 rightfully nudges people away from lifting people with cranes and towards other forms of access designed for lifting people. But sometimes the crane is a better solution!
All the people reacting down here need to adopt the same stance when it comes to lifting items with scissors. They seem to be pushing more and more towards being able to carry not just tools but also the materials (pipes / cladding) required to do a job.
Again, I do not have a problem with this, I think it is a great solution. As long as it is technically possible and well planned.
Maybe BS7121 needs some tweaking. But IPAF definitively need to stop being hypocritical and endorsing the use of the machines the industry & market they represent being used to lift materials and workers and simultaneously trying to protect their corner when a crane lifts people.
Just my thoughts...
upping the game
Or better still dont do it.
Really!!! Just because they think they are better than others it makes it OK to go against BS7121.
Doesn't matter how good you are if it goes wrong it goes wrong
Which ever side you are on here, there is one salient point made in the article - NMT have gone out to hone their skills to be experts in this field. There seems like there will always be a demand for extreme sports or bungee jumping - surely it is better that we have a couple of companies like NMT who set out to manage the risks and make these events as safe as can be reasonably practical then relying on other crane companies who may be experts in lifting and have excellent safety records, but have zero experience in the lifting of persons, or worse, some fly by night company who will do the job on the cheap in a pub carpark .....
upping the game
BS 7121 states that lifting of people should only be carried out in exceptional circumstances, when not practicable to do so by other means.
Blackpool tower come to mind??
Also what about the amount of people who could be injured or killed in the event of a failure or the crane overturning, the exclusion zone doesn't look very far away from the crane to me..
cfk88
The only death wish here is on the part of base jumpers but each to their own. As far as the lifting operation goes it all seems properly planned and safe.