Service Worker Falls from Lift

An aerial lift truck was parked on a hill beside a power line. Its driver set the emergency brake, but did not chock the wheels or engage the outriggers on the lift truck. The utility worker in the aerial lift platform was inspecting power transformers when the truck began to roll downhill. The driver applied the brakes, but the bucket had already struck the transformer crossbar, causing the bucket to shatter and throwing the utility worker 35 feet to the ground. The victim died from multiple injuries. Caught by a guy wire, the truck came to a halt. A bystander blocked its wheels.

Failure to follow safe operating procedure by installing wheel chocks when parked on a hill was one cause of this fatality. Investigators also noted the utility worker was not equipped with the required body harness and lanyard attached to the aerial bucket.