28.11.2023

Crane takes out scissor lift

A man was seriously injured at an industrial plant in Grimmen - Mecklenburg in Northern Germany on Friday when the scissor lift he was working from was knocked over by an overhead crane.

The man, 42, is employed by an external contractor, and was carrying out electrical work in the plant at a height of around nine metres. It seems that an employee of the plant was travelling the crane when it caught the scissor lift. According to the police, the crane operator did not have a clear view of the scissor lift while he was moving it.

Fortunately scissor lift’s fall was broken by a heavy duty warehouse shelving unit, which the man also landed on, reducing his fall to around five metres. He suffered serious but non life-threatening injuries, including a broken leg. The emergency services arrived and used a ladder platform to lift the paramedics to the injured man.

An investigation was carried out on site and is ongoing.

Vertikal Comment

This type of incident is becoming all too common, and often proves fatal. Crane manufacturer and service companies, as well safety associations such as IPAF, the NCCCO and the LEEA need to raise the profile of this issue.