20.10.2008

Boom lift tips in Oklahoma

An 80ft boom lift tipped over backwards in downtown Oklahoma City this morning killing its occupant, Efren Garcia, 30.

The Genie S-80 was being used by a painter working on a multi storey car park on main street and Broadway, when it tipped. The boom was at maximum elevation with boom fully retracted and the superstructure slewed 90 degrees over the side, when the platform simply tipped over backwards, with the boom falling across the street, thankfully there was no vehicle in the road at the time.

Local police said that Garcia worked for a California based remodeling company and was wearing some safety equipment, most likely a harness, as he remained in or near the platform, they also suggested that and it was clearly visible that the axles had not been extended. The police have been joined by OSHA and are currently conducting an investigation.

Vertikal Comment

With the proviso that we do not know for certain what happened in this accident, the combination of police statement viewing a video we have been sent, suggests that the operator of this platform managed to override the interlocks tied into the extending axles.

It looks very much as though the operator was using the machine in a tight area between an avenue of trees and the parking garage. The sidewalk was a little too narrow for the three metres extended width of the S-80.

In such situations operators often think that if they are not taking the machine to full height or full outreach or lifting the maximum capacity, they will be OK using the machine with retracted axles.

What they always forget is that the least stable position for such a machine is not full height, maximum capacity or maximum outreach, it is with fully retracted, fully raised boom, with a light load over the side. Rearward stability is the danger that is so often overlooked.

We will update this article as we receive more information and add a photo if we recieve one.