# Worker at high school falls from lift, dies



## MNicolai (Apr 13, 2016)

News article

This is a high school several blocks from me. Maintenance worker was in the gym working on a divider curtain system when he either fell from the lift or the lift fell over. Reports say it was a scissor lift but I'm not sure it was.

Use those outriggers, everyone, and don't use older lifts if they aren't equipped with outriggers.
Remember to not be climbing on the bucket toeboards or railings to get a better reach. Find a taller lift.


----------



## NateJanota (Apr 13, 2016)

Lift safety - as a JLG certified High Reach Op, I can't even emphasize ENOUGH how many people skip safety in a lift. It's ridiculous. I'm so sorry this man passed away, but I'm also hoping this spreads awareness of the dangers of these giant, heavy, awkward pieces of machinery and the safety procedures in place to make their operation safe and smooth.

If I have even ONE pet peeve, it's High Reach safety. DON'T CHEAT IT, your time isn't worth as much as your life is.


----------



## BillConnerFASTC (Apr 13, 2016)

seems latest report says "from a scissors lift"


----------



## derekleffew (Apr 13, 2016)

Totally different incident:
http://www.reviewjournal.com/news/l...basket-boom-truck-collapses-near-stratosphere

> When responders arrived, the man “was dangling from his harness,” Szymanski said, and that harness “probably saved his life.”


----------



## 120208 (Apr 13, 2016)

MNicolai said:


> News article
> 
> This is a high school several blocks from me. Maintenance worker was in the gym working on a divider curtain system when he either fell from the lift or the lift fell over. Reports say it was a scissor lift but I'm not sure it was.
> 
> ...


Mike- Please post the news link for us, if you can. 
When you boil it all down, most all AWP incidents can be blamed on lack of planning for the task. As a Genie and JLG certified trainer, I can't tell you how many times death and injuries have occurred because the wrong lift was used for the job at hand. Our industry needs to acknowledge that it's impossible for one AWP model to fulfill the height (or reach) needs of EVERY job at a given facility. Facility managers must concede that when the "in-house" lift is not the right tool, they have to rent. Not sure what model AWP (soon to be MEWP with the next ANSI update) to rent? Ask your vendor to come by and recommend the proper model.


----------



## What Rigger? (Apr 13, 2016)

I like the "not admitting culpability"-ness of the statement from the school. Especially the bull about "_Due to complications, the individual unexpectedly passed away late last night." _You mean the complications that basically spell out a completely broken body? I can't wait to see how paltry the fine is, both before and after it is appealed. Unless of course, this poor hapless bastard really was ignoring his training on how to safely use the lift. If there was any training. 

End of rant.


----------



## dwardMICS (Apr 14, 2016)

That is super scary! I've worked in and around various lifts for a long time. When I was much younger and dumber, I recall the incredibly stupid things we did with a lift. (Now that was an industrial job, removing the high shelving system from a home improvement store warehouse)

My school is looking to purchase one for our gym-atorium, and I am going to insist we get some certified training on it. You only have one life, and ending it because you weren't being safe is probably one of the saddest ways I can think to die.


----------



## RonHebbard (Apr 14, 2016)

NateJanota said:


> Lift safety - as a JLG certified High Reach Op, I can't even emphasize ENOUGH how many people skip safety in a lift. It's ridiculous. I'm so sorry this man passed away, but I'm also hoping this spreads awareness of the dangers of these giant, heavy, awkward pieces of machinery and the safety procedures in place to make their operation safe and smooth.
> 
> If I have even ONE pet peeve, it's High Reach safety. DON'T CHEAT IT, your time isn't worth as much as your life is.


So I guess you're not a fan of ladders atop lifts?
How about straight ladders atop a lift and leaned out against a wall or beam, and across the narrow dimension of a scissor lift to boot??
As to sad ways to die, arguing with passing locomotives is pretty sad too.
Toodleoo!
Ron


----------



## BillConnerFASTC (Apr 14, 2016)

You can find several articles. Poor guy was very close to retiring. http://m.wisn.com/news/person-falls-from-scaffolding-at-milwaukee-high-school/38973094. Seems he "fell from" a scissors lift. We can return to the harness and lanyard discussion in a scissors lift.


----------



## MNicolai (Apr 18, 2016)

It was a one-man lift. I don't have more information than that, but I can confidently say now that it was not a scissor lift nor was it scaffolding as various reports stated.

Unknown if the outriggers were in, if the lift had outriggers, or if the gym divider curtain interacted in the lift in a manner that caused it to topple or caused him to be yo-yo'd out of the lift while it remained upright.


----------

