Cement Plant – Two miners were attempting to repair a crane rail in a storage building while inside a man lift basket. While raising the man lift, the basket snagged on a beam. The miners continued to put pressure on the levers and when the basket became free, it suddenly lurched upwards. One miner was attached by his lanyard and was thrown back into the basket. The other miner, who was not properly tied off, was thrown from the basket. He fell approximately 35 feet to the ground and sustained life threatening injuries.
Best Practices
- If a man lift becomes caught, snagged or otherwise prevented from normal motion:
- All personnel shall be removed from the man lift.
- Call for assistance from the appropriate qualified personnel to free the machine.
- If a man lift becomes entangled with an adjacent structure, do not attempt to free machine by operating controls attached to the basket of the man lift.
- Always stay connected/tie off.
- Do not place yourself in a position that will expose you to hazards while performing a task.
- Monitor personnel routinely to determine that safe work procedures are followed.