Industry body Build Safe Dubai has issued a warning about the correct use of wheel loaders following a nasty accident on a local jobsite.
A JCB was being used as a lifting appliance to pick, carry and then place air conditioning pipes into a trench ran over a worker assisting on the ground. A makeshift sling had been rigged to hang pipes from the teeth of the front bucket, while a worker walked alongside to steady the load.
The operative had placed himself between the load and the front wheel of the machine, in order to steady the cargo. He slipped on some wet ground, and before the driver could stop, the machine ran over him. Fortunately, his injuries are not life threatening.
In an investigation, it was revealed that the machine was not being used in a way for which it was intended, no documented system of work or lifting plan had been completed and the supervisor was not present. Perhaps most alarming was the fact that there was a proper harness attachment on the back bucket that the operator didn’t know about, or chose to ignore.
Build Safe Dubai choose to make the facts of the accident public in order that anybody else connected with these machines wont make the same mistake. Elias Mc Grath, Group Administrator BSD said; “This is a lesson learned from this site. We hope that recording this kind of accident and sharing this information we can prevent an accident like it from happening elsewhere.”
In September BSD announced plans to expand nationwide.
Follow us on
