OWNERS ADVISED TO CHECK MOBILE ELEVATING WORK PLATFORMS MADE BY ACCESS MACHINES LTD

HSE press release: E035:03 - 13 March 2003

The Health & Safety Executive (HSE) today alerted owners of Mobile Elevating Work Platforms (MEWP) to an incident in which a work basket became detached from its supporting boom. No one was injured during this incident, but it has raised concerns about the safety of other MEWPs of the same construction and make. The MEWP was made by Access Machines Ltd. It was a Micro 95 trailer mount, class A1, made in 1998, with a Safe Working Load of 120 Kg.

The basket of the MEWP that failed was bolted to a round plate by four bolts and in turn the plate was welded to a pin or stub axle on the main boom. In this instance the pin to plate weld failed allowing the basket to fall off the end of the boom. There was some evidence of fatigue in the weld but HSE is concerned that poor quality welding may have contributed to the failure.
This is possibly a one off incident nevertheless HSE strongly recommends that owners/operators of these and similar machines have this pin/plate connection thoroughly examined by a competent person at the earliest possible opportunity.

Note to editors

1. HSE has already notified the Construction Plant Hirers Association (Powered Access Interest Group) and the Safety Assessment Federation (SAFED) about this potential problem.

2. Access Machines Ltd - registered office - Pannell House, 159 Charles Street, Leicester LE1 1LD, was dissolved on the 27/01/2001. There are no branches associated with this company.

3. In broad terms a competent person should have: appropriate practical and theoretical knowledge; the ability to detect and assess the importance of defects/weaknesses in relation to safety and continued use; an understanding of current best practice; an awareness of the limitations of one's own experience and knowledge; and a willingness and ability to supplement existing experience and knowledge.