13.11.2020

Face Palm

We have received a video of a man topping a palm tree from a dual fibreglass bucket type work platform on a loader crane which almost ended in a disaster.

The location was not specified (perhaps one of our readers will know?) however the operator decided to tether the top section of the tree to the crane to catch it from falling to the ground to then be lowered by the crane.

There are so many things wrong with this its hard to know where to begin. To start with the platform is not level, with the distance between it and the tree making the cut more challenging. He also takes a very large section and allows it to drop in the direction of the platform, finally the length of the tether is such that the falling palm frond and trunk causes a massive dynamic load in the boom, probably damaging the bucket attachment and the integrity of the boom. Amazingly the operator is not thrown from the platform - perhaps thanks to a harness - and the buckets are not ripped away from the boom. Also a surprise is that the chain saw appears to have been tethered and so does not fall to the ground.
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Fortunately the loader crane, with both of its outriggers properly deployed, was able to take the brunt of the shock load. Had they have opted for any other type of platform the weight and stress loadings would almost certainly have resulted in an overturn – it is miraculous that this ended as it did.

Definitely one for both our Death Wish series and accident reports:

@sebastianramos330

creo que no lo corto del lado correcto

♬ Capone - Oh No - 由user043998上传

This epitomises what our Death Wish series is all about… Please please have a safe weekend!