Health & Safety Committee: Safety Bulletin No. 3

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MEWP Incident at Milton Keynes

A serious incident occurred at Milton Keynes on 24 May 2008 where a member of staff working on an OLE gantry from a MEWP basket became trapped between the basket and the structure. This is the second incident involving trapping of the operator between a MEWP basket and a structure within the last six weeks.

Actions
Until the investigation is concluded, the following action must be taken with all MEWPs to help prevent any further incidents:

  • As part of the pre-work checking of the machine, the positive operation of the 'dead man' control (usually a foot switch pedal) must be checked to ensure that the functional controls of the machine can be stopped in an emergency. If there is any doubt about the positive operation of this control, the vehicle must not be used until the MEWP’s maintainer has passed the vehicle as being 'fit to be used' and that this is recorded and dated in the vehicle’s log book.
  • To avoid the risk of an entrapment situation occurring, the system of working to be followed requires that the basket is not to be raised directly under a structure, but off to one side of the structure, to a height just above the desired work height. The basket can then be lowered and manoeuvred towards/under the structure in full view of the operator by either slewing the basket or traveling the machine in creep drive

A further update will be issued once the investigations are concluded.

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FASET Safety Bulletin No. 3
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