17.06.2020

Under bridge platform overturn - UPDATED

A truck mounted under bridge inspection platform overturned on a highway bridge inspection job north east of La Spezia, Italy last Thursday. It was on the northbound lane of the A15/E31 La Spezia highway to Parma.
Please register to see all images

Three men were working on the platform of the machine - a three axle Barin underbridge platform owned by Autostrade maintenance company MGA (Manutenzioni Generali Autostrade) - when the machine lost stability and tipped. Two of the men were thrown from the platform, with one landing on the gravel bank in the middle of the river Magra, while the other landed in the water. Both were airlifted to hospital with serious injuries. The third man remained on the platform and was recovered by a winch from a fire ladder.
Please register to see all images

UPDATE

Barin has now issued a statement as follows:

"The machine lost stability and tipped because it has been overloaded by the end-user. No responsibility about the accident can be attributed to the Barin underbridge unit."

We have asked the manufacturer if it would provide details of this, but on balance, we would probably agree that this is the most likely cause. But it asks the question - what sort of systems are there to avoid this happening? We will of course update this item as information is provided.