Fatal Incidents Lead To New Guidance

The Health and Safety Executive’s new safety alert on certain types of scissor lifts has been welcomed by the national head of workplace injuries at Irwin Mitchell.

Owners and users of the JLG 500RTS and 400RTS lifts have been urged by the authority to carry out several daily safety checks as five people have been killed in three separate incidents involving the machinery in the past four years.

Each of the cases revealed that the oscillating axle designed to help the machine drive on uneven ground failed to lock when the platform was raised, while the lift/drive interlock system did not function in the correct manner.
It has been advised that function testing should be carried out on both elements before use on a daily basis.

David Urpeth, who specialises in accident at work claims at Irwin Mitchell, said: “This safety notice is a vital step towards ensuring that all firms reduce the risks when using scissor lifts.

“I urge every company responsible for or using the machinery to take note of the address given in the notice to ensure that all employees do not face the same terrible fate seen in the incidents highlighted.

“We deal with a number of cases in which employees are hurt in incidents which could have been avoided if the correct guidance had been followed. It is vital that this latest information is not ignored by businesses.”