Clark in fend Skanska Ltd of Ricksmanswnrth, Hedordshire: has been hit for £16,000 in fines and casts after it pleaded guilty to breaching the Lifting operations and Lifting Equipment Regulations 1998 and failing to ensure the lifting if materials was properly planned, supervised and carried nut in a safe manner.
Two men - a 22 year old who suffered a fractured pelvis and cheekbone, broken nose and heavy bruising and a 39 year old colleague who fractured his skull, eye socket, elbow and thumb - were using a scissor platform to lift pasteboard sheets when they fell around seven metres after the lift overturned on 16th August 2007.
A healthy and Safety Executive (HSE) investigation found the men were using the wrong type of equipment to transport the pasteboard.
Inspector Kevin Wilson said: ''This was a serious incident where the consequences could have Leen much worse. The platform was only half a meter away from a further drop of nearly six meters.
''The incident could have been prevented with appropriate planning and selection of equipment suitable for the task. Mobile elevating work platforms are not designed for use as material hoists. They are designed as a working platform for positioning operatives and their tools. In this case, the platform was heavily overloaded. MEWPS should also only be operated by competent, trained operatives familiar with the safety requirements and devices for the type of platform used. In this case the operative had been trained to use MEWPS but had relatively little experience and had not received familiarization training for the type of platform being used"
Crane & Access July 2011
No Responsibility accepted for the accuracy of this article  (July /2011/Vol 13/issue5)

Mobile elevating work platforms (MEWPs) can provide a safe way of working at height. They:

• allow the worker to reach the task quickly and easily
• have guard rails and toe boards which prevent a person falling
• can be used in-doors or out

MEWPs include cherry pickers, scissor lifts and vehicle-mounted booms. These pages help you to:

choose the right MEWP for the job identify and manage the risks involved with working from MEWPs

Things to consider

If you are thinking of using a MEWP look at the following questions.

• Height

• How high is the job from the ground?

Application

• Do you have the appropriate MEWP for the job? (If you are not sure, check with the hirer or manufacturer.)

Conditions

• What are the ground conditions like - is there a risk of the MEWP becoming unstable or overturning?

Operators

• Are the people using the MEWP trained, competent and fit to do so?

Obstructions

• Could the MEWP be caught on any protruding features or overhead hazards, e.g. steelwork, tree branches or power lines?

• Is there passing traffic, and if so, what do you need to do to prevent collisions?

Restraint

• Do you need to use either work restraint (to prevent people climbing out of the MEWP) or a fall arrest system (which will stop a person hitting the ground if they fall out)? HSE guidance MISC614^[1] acknowledges that people should not normally climb out of boom-type MEWPS.  Before using any MEWP, the duty holder should have carried out a rigorous risk assessment and followed the guidance in MISC614 and CIS58^[2] and ensure they are complying with relevant legislation.

Checks

• Has the MEWP been examined, inspected and maintained as required by the manufacturer’s instructions and daily checks carried out?

From experience

Good practice

• MEWPs: Good practice in pictures^[3]

What can happen?

• MEWP accident^[4]
• Not using proper equipment ^[5]
• Unsecured working platform^[6]
• Platform accidents^[7]

Further information

• The Work at Height Regulations 2005^[8]

• Construction industry The selection and management of mobile elevating work platforms ^[9] [PDF 235kb]
• Work at Height Regulations - a brief guide. INDG 401 ^[10] [PDF 77kb]
• 5 Steps to risk assessment. INDG 163 ^[11] [PDF 135kb]
• Preventing falls from boom-type mobile elevated work platforms. MISC 614 ^[12] [PDF 72kb]
• Construction industry Work at Height Regulations - question and answer brief ^[13] [PDF 360kb]
• Working safely near overhead power lines. AIS 8 ^[14] [PDF 34kb] agriculture information sheet

Still haven't found what you need? Try Work at Height Solutions (http://webcommunities.hse.gov.uk/inovem/inovem.ti/WorkAtHeightSolutions)