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2 recent deaths in America


Smoutie

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There sadly have been two deaths in America in the last few weeks, both from falls at height, apologies if anyone on these forums was close to the deceased, my condolences, I am keen to prevent accidents similar to this which is why I'm posting.

 

One was a Tech Director of a teaching facility who had 23 years experience. It is a very sobering thought and has concentrated my mind on some of the things coming out of the reports so far.

 

The initial reports say it was a hydraulic access lift which fell over, although it says he was seen pushing it from the dock so unlikely to be a driveable one. He was also working alone and didn't seem to have any fall arrest equipment as he was not in the basket when found.

 

I hope they can piece together what happening, there were no witnesses, tragic though his death is it should at least help to strengthen the H&S arguments for proper access equipment and training for our industry. The difference between a driveable MEWP and a pushable one which requires out riggers to be assembled is interesting, is there any data which gives an insight if one is more inherently safer. Less room for error in set up.

 

Unrelated to this a 25 year old rigger died when he fell 25ft from an arch structure at the Superbowl. Initial report suggests a diabetic collapse. Here's a quote from another forum page.

 

"It has been widely posted since yesterday that we lost another member of our Crew Family due to an accident at the Super Bowl Site in Arizona.

There have been many stories posted around, however those that loved him and were close to him wanted the truth to get out so everyone would understand what really happened.

 

Ryan “Scrappy” Lipman from Phoenix, Arizona, was a rigger and was working on rigging for the Super Bowl when he had a diabetic medical issue and fell approximately 25 feet. Scrappy had already passed out before he fell and never regained consciousness and slipped away.

Apparently he seemed fine earlier during the day but after a few hours working up in the air he started acting erratically. Normally, Ryan was very safe and wore his PPE including hardhat, harness, lanyards and more, which he was wearing at the time of the fall.

 

However, due to his not thinking clearly and perhaps not feeling well, he was not taking his normal precautions. He WAS wearing a harness and a double lanyard however he wasn’t clipping in. Apparently he wanted to come down and while about half way down he passed out and fell the rest of the way, which was approximately 25 feet. Those on the scene thought he had potentially just broken a few bones and gotten pretty banged up but would be back to himself soon. Sadly, even with immediate Medical attention, he slipped away.

 

His Family is setting up an online Fundraiser, which I will post the link to as soon as it is made available, as well as any Final Arrangement information. Please keep Scrappys Family, Friends, Loved ones and Crew Family in your thoughts and prayers during this sad and difficult time. Please know that Scrappy was a strong believer in safety being #1 ALWAYS and keep that in mind when you go to work no matter what your gig is. He would want to you to take whatever precautions possible to stay safe and go home at the end of the show. Do it for Scrappy but most importantly, do it for yourself. We have lost too many and don’t want to lose anyone else."

 

 

 

 

I'd like to know if anyone has links to American H&S sites if we can get a follow up on these to see greater detail, particularly the hydraulic lift accident. Also, diabetes is something we often encounter and highlights the ability for rescue at height, something I stil have issues with when ti comes to tallescopes.

 

All thoughts welcome.

 

 

 

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The first incident shows just how vulnerable even experienced people can be when they cut corners like working alone. More details would be required for further debate to avoid speculation.

 

The second brings us back to the discussion we were having on fatigue and who is best to judge, oneself or an independent observer. Diabetes is an awkward topic in the realms of disability and self-recognition of disability but the law is fairly clear.

In the case of someone with diabetes which is being controlled by medication or diet, whether or not the effect is substantial should be decided by reference to what the effects of the condition would be if he or she were not taking that medication or following the required diet.

Office for Disability Issues: Equality Act 2010

That seems to me that the employer should take a worst case scenario into account when creating an RA for a diabetic worker despite the guidelines that diabetics can work in hazardous roles. See page two.

 

The guidelines themselves recommend annual testing by the diabetics own medical team AND an annual assessment by both an occupational health specialist and an independent diabetes specialist. We cannot rely on our own judgement of fitness for work when we are the ones suffering adverse effects of fatigue, illness or pre-existent medical condition.

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I'd like to comment if I may; I'm a 25 year old, male, occasional lighting technician, regular climber and type 1 diabetic.

I don't work at height regularly, but do understand the basics of how it is done.

 

Being a diabetic doing physical activity at work or for pleasure is difficult. Even with the best control of your blood sugar in the world (and I'm definitely not saying I have it), hypoglycemia, low blood sugar, can occur at the most unfortunate/inconvenient times. With close monitoring most "lows" can be dealt with no problems, but every now and again one can catch you off guard. There is a higher risk for a diabetic performing hazardous tasks rather than the non-diabetic. This is one of the reasons most diabetics can't serve in the military (in the UK), drive passenger vehicles and join uniformed services (police etc).

 

I, and I'm pretty certain that Ryan would have agreed, don't ever want to be told that I can't do anything. I know my body, my diabetes better than any expert. I know my limits, I know when I'm pushing them. There is no reason why I shouldn't be allowed to work at height when I am in control.

However I am human, I get tired, the job may last too long or some other influence may cause my blood sugar to drop without me realising it. It is a calculated risk that I must understand when I put myself in danger. For me this could be climbing or even driving a car. I try never to work alone but sometimes this happens.

 

When hypoglycemia happens, it can leave you confused and unable to make logical decisions. This could delay treatment, or in this case explain why Ryan wasn't attached to the structure.

 

On the one hand special care does need to be taken in the case of diabetics but no one can be protected from everything, there's always a risk.

I hope I've made this clearer, please ask me publicly or privately if you have any questions.

Mark

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  • 4 weeks later...
I agree with you MarkB, I'm also a type 1 and don't want to be told I cant do anything. On the flip side its sometimes hard for some people to understand that you need to stop and have a break/something to eat every now and again when you start to go 'low'. Had a few occasions, albeit not working at height when the pressure from the 'people above' to get the job done has meant I have incurred a 'hypo', luckily for me the people I normally work with (family, close friends/colleagues) know what to look for and have helped me take action when/if I'm unable to myself.
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