16.09.2007

Man charged for lift accident

The driver of the bus that hit a self propelled boom lift in Manchester, UK, last November, catapulting the operator out of the basket into the path of the bus, has been charged with causing death by dangerous driving.

Krzsztof Ociepa, 47, was driving the double decker bus when it hit the Boom of the Genie Z0/34 ejecting Martin Pilling, 27, from lifts basket into the path of the bus on Wilmslow Road, Rusholme. Ociepa is due to appear before magistrates on Tuesday September 18th.
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Pilling had left his harness in the back of his van, had he been wearing it he would have at least stood a chance of survival. Although the impact from the bus was very severe.

This accident came after a number of similar cases in 2006 where operators of boom lifts had been catapulted from the platform due to the absence of a harness.

As a result a number of UK rental companies organised an extraordinary meeting to discuss a campaign to encourage or mandate the wearing of a full body harness and short lanyard in all boom lifts.

The outcome of that meeting was the Clunk Click campaign that is now a major international effort to make the wearing of harnesses in booms almost second nature.