28.05.2018

A more developed fork and pallet platform

Spotted in Brunssum, the Netherlands last week, a work team using a makeshift platform in the preparations for a music festival at the Schutterspark theme park last week.

Those responsible have used a wheeled excavator fitted with forks, and a stack of pallets- to gain a little extra height, but they have taken the effort to add a set of guardrails made from pallet material. To be fair it looks as though they have made a decent job of creating a solid basket. And one assumes that this was a last minute one off job that needed doing??
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This make shift platform is hardly efficient or safe

In the words of our correspondent: “Look at the home made man basket... I cannot understand the stupidity of some people.”
It is true that the Netherlands is one of the most highly developed powered access markets in the world, with aerial work platforms available on every corner, and rental companies will even rent machines by the hour, so its to shame to see effort wasted on contraption like this, that no matter how well constructed will be no where near as safe or efficient as a proper work platform.
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A closer look

On the surface it is not as bad as most of our Death Wish Series entrants – although there is that stack of pallets – and the two in the basket rely on the operator not inadvertently smashing them into a stanchion – excavator controls are designed for speed not smoothness or precision, or the pallets being well secured to the forks, and then there is the question of lanyard anchors, secondary guarding etc… etc…

It is definitely going in!

PS. Today is a public holiday in the UK where our English language news team is based.