# Check your Aerial Lifts



## NYCHA FORESTER (Jun 1, 2007)

OTHELLO, Wash. -- For the 600 elementary school students looking on, it was supposed to be an exciting science demonstration. Instead it turned into a frightful look at death.

A teacher and a utility company worker in Othello were suspended about 30 feet off the ground in a lift bucket Thursday, when the boom suddenly separated from its base, sending the bucket crashing to the ground. They were thrown from the bucket when it hit the ground outside Hiawatha Elementary School.

Killed was 50-year-old Bob Smith, an employee of Avista Utilities. The teacher, Melissa Martinez, was hospitalized for treatment of what were described as non-life-threatening injuries

I wonder if they had two people in a one person bucket?


----------



## BostonBull (Jun 1, 2007)

The boom seperated from the turret? If that is true two people in the bucket wouldnt matter. Most buckets are rated for 350-500lbs. The boom is rated fro higher so that the bucket fails and the boom doesnt. This is why it is HIGHLY recommended to tie into the boom with a boom strap instead of the bucket.

Sad either way.


----------



## BC_Logger (Jun 1, 2007)

Im curious as to how the 2 seperated , something doesent seem right


----------



## joesawer (Jun 1, 2007)

This brings back sad memories for me. About 12 years ago a friend and mentor was killed when the boom fell on the bucket truck he was operating. 
It was a break over center boom. When it fell the boom was past center so the weight was pulling on the lift cylinder for the lower boom, The eye on the cylinder had been cross threaded when it was assembled and it pulled of the end off the shaft allowing the boom to free fall. He died of massive head injuries.


----------



## billyjoejr (Jun 2, 2007)

http://www.komotv.com/news/local/7775912.html


----------



## Industry (Jun 2, 2007)

Hopefully someone has some more info on this at a later date. Sad. It almost looks like the whole turret came off the deck of the chassis. Also, is that an Aerial lift? doesn't look like the ones we run.


----------



## clearance (Jun 2, 2007)

This is sad, of course, but also very strange. I know booms can break, snap off and so on, but at the pedastal? I know the booms are capable of handling ten times the wieght the bucket is rated for, so two people in the bucket has nothing to do with why it failed. But at the pedastal? This area is heavy steel plate, big bolts, not a glass shaft, very strange, I would like to see pictures of this area.


----------



## Dixie1 (Jun 5, 2007)

are these types of accidents more common on the "bucket trucks" than Genie aerial boom lifts? after reading this thread and the older thread, both have been in these types of vehicles. just wondering. we use the Genie boom lifts and it scares me so much to be in it. is there not an alarm or a function that won't allow you to be past center. in the Genie boom lift it will let you make a full 360 degree rotation, but will sound an alarm if it is at risk of tipping over. very scary. i was in one for several months this past winter with a man who weighed 300+ pounds and i weighing 116, we were not well-balanced at all in the bucket. not fun and i'm sure not very safe.


----------



## kennertree (Jun 5, 2007)

It seems weird the boom broke there, seems like that is the strongest part. Looks like a new truck too. Very unfortunate.


----------



## Dadatwins (Jun 5, 2007)

Given the size of the bucket in the picture , that is a 2 man bucket so I doubt it was overloaded, looks like some major mechanical failure to the boom at the turntable. Sad situation, hopefully more info will come out as to what happened.


----------



## John Paul Sanborn (Jun 6, 2007)

Dadatwins said:


> Given the size of the bucket in the picture , that is a 2 man bucket so I doubt it was overloaded, looks like some major mechanical failure to the boom at the turntable. Sad situation, hopefully more info will come out as to what happened.



I think that is just from focal length, the bucket is 40 ft closer then the cab.






look at the controls and the knuckle at the top of the boom.


----------



## turnkey4099 (Jun 8, 2007)

From the Spokesman Review (Spokane Wa) 06/08/07. (spokesmanreview.com Northwest section) Pertinent parts of the rambling report:

6 turret bolts found missing. 

Last inspected in August

Of the 20 bolts holding the boom to the turret:

11 were broken but still in place
3 were detached but fouind in the pedestal base
6 were missing and could not be found.

Harry K


----------



## clearance (Jun 8, 2007)

turnkey4099 said:


> From the Spokesman Review (Spokane Wa) 06/08/07. (spokesmanreview.com Northwest section) Pertinent parts of the rambling report:
> 
> 6 turret bolts found missing.
> 
> ...



Thank you for this, I can't really say anything about it, I am stunned.


----------



## turnkey4099 (Jun 9, 2007)

clearance said:


> Thank you for this, I can't really say anything about it, I am stunned.



What I am wondering is "were those 6 missing before the accident or did they break and fly too far to be found?" I would assume they used metal detectors for at least a reasonable distance.

Harry K


----------



## Dadatwins (Jun 9, 2007)

That really is a scary thought, bucket trucks are usually over built to handle many years of service. Boom does not look that old like someone else said. With a complete inspection recently done something went very wrong with that rig, for that many bolts to be broken or missing. Last bucket truck that I saw with broken turrent bolts was a rear mount high-ranger that someone drove into a concrete wall. Misjudged the boom sticking out front. Boom did not look that bad visually, but x-ray inspection showed boom cracks in the fiberglass and the turent was shifted on the pedestal which led to complete replacement of unit. Wonder if something similiar happened to the rig in the picture and no one reported it? Keep us posted, thanks.


----------



## beelsr (Jun 9, 2007)

i'm wondering: just inspected or overhauled at the same time. 

if it was overhauled, it was done without a torque wrench....


----------



## alpha115 (Jun 9, 2007)

The turret bolts should if not already be one of the parts checked daily on the dry run and aerial inspection of a boom. When these bolts go one will loosen then all will break. 
These are like the bolts on a third member and will fail simultaneously. With usually devastating results.

If you find one loose bolt or even washer take it in immediately. Daily up keep saves lives.


----------



## lees trees (Jun 13, 2007)

I was a little more thorough today. you just dont expect that out of equipment that looks that good.


----------



## ray benson (Jun 14, 2007)

alpha115 said:


> The turret bolts should if not already be one of the parts checked daily on the dry run and aerial inspection of a boom. When these bolts go one will loosen then all will break.
> These are like the bolts on a third member and will fail simultaneously. With usually devastating results.
> 
> If you find one loose bolt or even washer take it in immediately. Daily up keep saves lives.



Wow, why would something so critical be made with little or no safety factor?


----------



## alpha115 (Jun 15, 2007)

Here is a write up of a accident. They are just as common as stirrup failure on your spurs, uncommon but can and will happen.

http://www.labour.gov.sk.ca/safety/bulletins/failure-bolts.htm

This link is for you techno junkies out there.

http://www.mech.uwa.edu.au/DANotes/threads/fatigue/fatigue.html


----------



## joesawer (Jun 16, 2007)

alpha115 said:


> Here is a write up of a accident. They are just as common as stirrup failure on your spurs, uncommon but can and will happen.
> 
> http://www.labour.gov.sk.ca/safety/bulletins/failure-bolts.htm
> 
> ...



It seems very likely that something like this could have happened in this case. It is common to put a reconditioned boom on a new chassis. 
I don't know it for a fact but I heard from a reputable source that the boom that fell with my friend was reconditioned and re certified and then put on a new chassis and was back on the row in a very short amount of time.


----------

