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Incident in Australia highlights electrocution risk to MEWP users
The Herald Sun has reported that one man has died and another has severe burns after the MEWP they were working in came in close proximity to overhead electrical conductors in Melbourne, Australia.
The men were plumbers undertaking works on a roof. The cherry picker was elevated and the power had to be turned off and the flames extinguished before paramedics could reach the men. Paramedic Matt Culka said crews arrived to find the men trapped and the cherry picker on fire. He added:
“It appeared it had touched powerlines, setting it alight. Unfortunately one man died before he could be reached. It was very distressing to passers-by who witnessed this happen as well as the emergency service workers to see young men at work in their prime to sustain such significant injuries. A number of people are being reassured by emergency services workers on scene for what they’ve seen, and we encourage them to seek any help and get any counselling if they have any issues.”