A scissor lift overturned in Mexico City last week, killing two photographers, the cause was entirely due to the wind working on a large banner/wind sail fixed to the platform of a narrow scissor lift located outside.
The lift that went over
The incident occurred on Saturday April 5th, at the ‘Axe Ceremonia’ music festival, in Mexico City's Bicentennial Park. The two photographers, Berenice Giles and Miguel Hernández, of Mr.Indie, were in the platform of a fully elevated slab electric scissor lift which was equipped with a massive animal head banner fixed to the platform. Local weather reports suggest that the winds that day may have reached between 50 and 59kph or if you prefer, 14 to 16 metres per second.
The lift was positioned next to the main stage where Mexican singer Meme del Real was performing. The district mayor's office said the event organisers had failed to inform them that cranes or platforms had been installed and were working on the site, they were also not listed or checked during a pre-event inspection carried out on the Friday.
Note the size of the banner/sail
The wind took the machine over, with the two photographers suffering fatal brain injuries. The event was apparently immediately closed down and the second day abandoned, while the safety authorities carried out a full investigation into the incident.
The scene shortly after the incident occurred
Some reports we have seen suggest that immediately after the overturn, the festival continued as if nothing had happened and that the organisers initially attempted to cover it up. We find that hard to believe, given all the photos and video footage we have seen.
The lift after the initial inspections
A second scissor lift which with similar banner /head, appears to have been positioned 90 degrees on to the one that went over and remained upright.
A second scissor remained upright
The festival has been held annually since 2013 and typically attracts around 100,000 attendees over the two days.
Regional mayor, Miguel Hidalgo said: "At the time of the inspection, in which various agencies from the Mexico City government including the mayor's office participated, these ‘cranes’ were not installed on the site. It was a last minute decision by the private organisers to install them during this Saturday's concert."
The Axe Ceremonia festival organisers said: “We deeply regret this incident and would like to express our solidarity and support for the families and loved ones of the deceased at this painful time. Refunds will be issued automatically through Ticketmaster, which is providing information about the process through its channels."
Mr.Indie issued a statement that said: "Berenice and Miguel will be remembered for everything they contributed. Their vision behind the lens, their sensitivity, and their energy remain with us."
The Mexico City Prosecutor's Office says that it is "conducting a legally binding investigation of the alleged perpetrators who were brought before them for failure to comply with the guidelines required for mass events.”
Warnings and campaigns
IPAF has a long standing campaign warning of the dangers of adding banners to aerial lifts and highlighting the risks of doing so. This kicked off after a scissor lift blew as the wind picked up at an early Vertikal Days event at Haydock Park. See: Do not attach banners to scissor lifts and a more recent update Never attach banners to MEWPs. It is encouraging that some of the news bulletins in Mexico have highlighted these campaigns.
If you speak or understand Spanish the news videos below provide a little more detail
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