20.03.2020

Why bother unloading?

Spotted in Liverpool today a crew using a self-propelled boom lift without unloading it from the delivery truck. It looks as though they are removing waste product from a drain or gutter outlet at a point above the door of the RBS Bank on High Street.
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The boom, a Niftylift HR12 is working from the back of the truck, which has boosted its up & over height, there at least two hoses draping from the platform, its hard to see if the operator is wearing a harness, let’s assume he is, the HR12 has a platform capacity of 200kg, so given his size, the hanging hoses and other unusual looking equipment and he is not that far of the maximum. On top of that little effort appears to have been made to cordon of the vehicles or close the sidewalk/pavement. Liverpool has strict street closure/ working in the street rules, perhaps they were ready for a quick exit?
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In the words of the reader who spotted it: “We spotted this in Liverpool today. An interesting take on a truck mounted access platform! No outriggers on the truck. The platform is attached to the truck with a couple of wagon straps. The guy in the basket doesn’t have a safety harness on and the pavement wasn’t closed to pedestrians. It looks like they are a drainage contractor working on the building.”

In order to add a little balance – given the size of the truck, and the look of the straps plus the proximity to the building the man on top was fairly safe in terms of the whole lot overturning. However it makes little sense to have chosen to do this in such a prominent public place, where much could have gone wrong, the job looks to be far better suited to a 3.5 tonne truck mounted lift than a self propelled.
Definitely one for our Death Wish series.
Have a safe weekend