27.01.2008

Two men catapulted from boom lift

Two men are in a serious condition in hospital after being catapulted from an aerial lift at a property north west of Kilcoy, Queensland, Australia.

Emergency services were called to the site, around a mile from Kilcoy on Sunday afternoon. The two men were found badly injured on the ground and were airlifted to hospital.

It seems that a tree struck the boom lift creating a catapult effect which ejected the two occupants from the cage. Neither were wearing harnesses.

One of the men, a 54-year-old from Kilcoy, broke both arms and suffered serious head injuries. The second man was also suffered head injuries.

Workplace Health and Safety officers are investigating the accident.

Vertikal Comment

It has been a while since we last reported such an incident. While the number of people using harnesses in booms has definitely increased in the past 12 months, it is of course stupid to think that we are anywhere close to harness use in booms becoming second nature.

The crazy thing is that these two chose the safest equipment to carry out their work and then for the want of wearing a bit of safety equipment, they are dangerously ill in hospital and their families are worried sick.

They are lucky not to be dead, but had they worn a harness they might well be laughing in a bar now about the shock the falling tree gave them.