http://www.kansascity.com/703/story/1560980.html big job in kc shut down after manlift topples
My condolences to the family of the fataly injured worker, and hope the other worker will recover. I sure would be interested to know how this happened. I can't say for sure, but that looks like a JLG 1250AJP, 125' reach, articulated boom. And, looking at the pics, it fell over backwards, which is the least likely direction a manlift would tip over if it were on firm/level surface and in proper working order. I hope someone catches the follow up report on what happened. Here's another pic I found on the web.
http://www.kansascity.com/934/gallery/1561491.html It's sad that's a link to more jobsite photos. It does appear to be on solid ground A crane being that close makes me wonder IF... but until a further report . Lifts are easily overloaded I don't remember the height they were at but it was around 50'
Yep, that's a 1250AJP. I'll guarantee you there's someone from JLG on site over this accident. These are very sophisticated machines. Numerous auto controls that prevent even an inexperienced operator getting the machine outside of it's operating envelope. But just because there's a lot of "gizmo's" on these machines does not mean they malfunction easily. They are very reliable (as can be made by man) and often systems that have redundant backup controls in case of primary control failure. Anything that reads "weird" to the controls of these machines will either sound warnings, prevent certain operations, or shut it down. After all, manlifts are designed to "raise a man" in the air, not raise him then fall over. You don't often hear of manlifts falling over. That's why I'm curious as to what happened in this case.
I wouldn't have believed it was possible to tip a JLG on solid ground Is that chain falls I see in the basket? Wonder if they were pulling on something and it broke and "sling-shot" the opposite direction.....or were the chain falls holding a beam to the basket while being lifted into place?
i dont know if the controls one that machine would prevent it from traveling once you get above a certain height but is it possible that they traveled backwards and dropped a tire into a hole?
My heart goes out for the family! Where most jobsite accidents are preventable, it is particularly hard one the family. The "needless" loss is devastating. We lost my son-in-law to a night time, backup accident on the job site, a year ago last June. His folks, especially his mom are still a mess. My daughter was left to raise 3 young children without their dad. A house that was full of happiness before, now has subdued laughter and a lot fewer smiles. My daughter still cries everyday. The kids still looking for Daddy. Life goes on, soccer, dance, birthdays etc, but the full joy of living is not there. So again my heart goes out to the families that suffer when a needless and most often preventable accident occurs at the job site.
Three of the wheels are pointed straight, but one of the ones on the ground is pointed off to the right. I wonder if that had something to do with it?
I don't know if it would have helped, but I wonder if they had there harnesses on and hooked to the basket. They require it on the job I'm working at. The general contractor warned all the lift operator to have a harness on and be hooked to the basket or they would be escorted off the site and not allowed back.
sad day for all concerned.reaffirms my reason to keep my boots on the ground.
Well said fliffy42. I've said it before at this forum and I'll say it again; Everyone...work safe. It doesn't matter if your working a 125' manlift or a shovel. Any day you get to go home from work and eat supper is a good day. Sadly, this is one more hand that didn't get to, for whatever the reason.
The story of this incident just does not add up. I've had to load test manlifts by extending the booms straight out level with a rated load in the basket and they did not tip. Raising the boom just makes them more stable. N.CarolinaDozer points to a clue when asking about safety harnesses. If they did not have then on, they were not qualified to operate that machine. We probably won't hear it but it should be made public. We need "The Rest of the Story".
Hi John, I really don't want to disagree with you, but on this I'm compelled to. On these long boom machines, they do have a tipping point. For example, take a JLG 110HX, a very simple long boom machine. If you have the boom horizontal, and were to disable the boom length sensor, and telescope boom with no load in the basket (platform); long before you were to reach full boom extension the machine will tip forward from the weight of the boom. All of these long boom machines operate within what's know as an "operating envelope". Any boom position outside of this "envelope" is a tipping hazard. That's why they have systems/sensors that prevent an operator from positioning boom outside/beyond the operation envelope. One would think they should design these long boom machines to be more stable. But here's the problem; to make a long boom manlift stable in all boom positions would require 1) the machine would have to be very heavy for counterweight, or 2) it would require a large footprint like extended outriggers on a crane. Either of these would be a hinderence on a dirt construction jobsite. The compromise is to make a machine heavy enough (a 110HX is a little over 40,000 lbs) and wide enough to be manuverable on the site. But this compromise will restrict the machine to a working envelope of boom position. If the machine gets outside of this envelope, it can tip over. I am very curious as to the "rest of the story" on how this happened on this occasion.
That is very sad to hear. At the risk of stirring up a controversy, it looks to me like they were more than the reported 50 ft high. The lower boom appears to be a bit over half extended, and the upper appears the same, in some of the photos. I would estimate 80 ft plus or minus. Hard to say for sure, but projecting where the lift would be at setting upright, and it looks mighty close to the crane boom. ??? It would be interesting to see the results of the investigation, though that may take some time. In the comments below the news article, someone said that the 2 workers were tied off. Don't know how accurate that may be though. Someone else commented that the boom failed, but in the 16 pictures I see no evidence of a failed boom. Besides, a failed boom rarely dumps the base machine over. My sympathies to the families involved.
One story says they are connecting steel beams with a crane... Which makes one think a choker caught the basket and pulled the lift over. Donna Robertson, acting area director of the Occupational Safety and Health Administration, said today there is no obvious cause for the Tuesday accident that killed one worker and seriously injured another. The two men were in an aerial lift that tipped over, dropping them about 50 feet.
JLG 1250 AJP manual You can download the manual for this machine from JLG's website. Read sections 4-1 thru 4-9. The one thing that troubles me on these machines is if the machine is off and a cylinder leaks down (internally) there is no warning alarm. The machine has to be running to get the warning alarms. 1250 AJP operator manual link: http://csapps.jlg.com/OnlineManuals/browse.aspx?path=JLG/JLG Boom Lifts/1250AJP&title=PDF Manuals&refkey=http%3a%2f%2fwww.jlg.com%2fen-US%2fSafety.html&link=
Woops tells me that there are no files available!
:beatsme Sorry, it appears you have to go thru http://www.jlg.com then click on Safety, then Safety Manuals then JLG, then Boom Lifts, then 1250 AJP.
Rest of the story. Hello. It would seem that a "Guide chain" was in use, (Tag line?). One was tied off to the front of the basket, to "prevent it from becoming a fall hazard". Was there only one? More questions than answers so far.
110hx The operation envelope is designed to allow for full extension within the working envelope, the unit if properly set-up and outriggers extended will in fact allow for full boom extension without tipping, the unit does have alot of "sway" when using the boom lift controller, thus the reason for the ramp adjustments. If the unit is tipping without a load and the boom is at horizontal the counterweight should be checked to make cetain it is correct, also the tires can come into play. The above function is part of the annual inspection. The extension sensor is tied into the tilt switch to disable elevation during unlevel conditions.
With all due respect icewater, your post is just a bit factually incorrect, and for safety reasons of readers who might operate one, I feel I should point out some facts. Code: The operation envelope is designed to allow for full extension within the working envelope The machine I used as an example was a JLG 110HX. On that machine, the "operation envelope" is not designed to allow for full extension, it's designed to prevent full extension, to keep boom extension "within operation envelope". If it extends outside the envelope, the machine will become unstable and can tip. A 110HX at horizontal can not fully extend without tipping. Code: the unit if properly set-up and outriggers extended will in fact allow for full boom extension without tipping The 110HX does not have outriggers, as most manlifts don't. Outriggers are an option on some models of manlifts, but not the norm. They are not an option on the 110. Code: If the unit is tipping without a load and the boom is at horizontal the counterweight should be checked to make cetain it is correct, also the tires can come into play. The counterweight on the 110 is fixed on the machine. There is no adding, taking away, or changing of the counterweight on one. As for the tires, they have to be foam filled on the 110 for ballast weight as well as to protect from tire blowout while machine is extended. Code: The extension sensor is tied into the tilt switch to disable elevation during unlevel conditions. On a 110HX, the extension sensor is not tied to the tilt sensor, nor does the tilt sensor disable the elevation during unlevel conditions, wouldn't want someone operating a 110 thinking the tilt sensor would protect them from tipping the machine when it's unlevel when in fact it would not.
Two workers in the basket, one died the other survived. both were reported to be attached to the lift platforms anchorage point. The picture on page 4-7 of the operator's manual appears to be the position the lift was in when it went over, except they did not have the boom 90 degrees to travel, infact it is 180 degrees from the travel position. Note the position of the knuckle. If the lower tower boom bleeds down at all (without the tower fly boom retracting) the knuckle moves outside the narrow tower path it has to follow to remain stable and upright. That knuckle has to follow a very narrow path as it is raised, this machine's tower boom section raises and extends as you operate one toggle switch. JLG's 800A and 600A and Genie's Z80 and Z135 do not operate this way. The tower boom on these aforementioned lifts raise first then the tower fly boom extends. In addition if you look at the service manual there is a check that requires that weight be put in the platform and the platform raised to determine if there is any bleed down.
That is not a jobsite rule, that is an osha regulation. Around here the joke is the require the harness so you dont bounce far from the basket. I hate to hear about something like this. But accidents do happen, my condolences to the suffering families.
Actually that regulation appeared soon after there was a fatality on a job site up here in the great white north. A mechanic loading a manlift onto a flatbed ramp truck, drove off the side of the truck, and was thrown (shot) out of the basket as the manlift tipped over. We don't even move a machine into the shop now without a harness on and attached.
Folks have a look at these Videos the are down loadable for those of you that want to. To help with this argument please take special note of IPAF CONEXPO 2008 "Only dummies don't wear harnesses in booms" films I think it is fairly self explanatory. The other Videos may help with training. There is a wealth of information on this site all be it European but it can be used as "best practice"
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