| The collapsed structure left six or seven men dangling from their harnesses- but alive |
The men appear to have been working on the construction of a bridge/viaduct when the steel structure they were working from collapsed. They were all left dangling from their lanyards attached to the running line which held.
| The tensioned safety line caused the men to slide to the low point of the line |
| The harnesses all appear to have been worn properly and the lanyards short |
A man standing on the headache ball of the crane is lowered to the group of men where he appears to have secured them to the crane’s main hook while a 360 excavator is brought in and proves high enough to reach the dangling men.
The rescuer then cuts the lanyards leaving the men in the excavator bucket, from where they were most likely lowered to safety.
Meanwhile, what appears to be another group of men, are stranded on the column of the bridge and they too are rescued by the crane which simply lifts them by their harnesses and lowers them the ground.
While not quite textbook stuff it does show why harnesses should always been worn when working in high places from which it is possible to fall. Or for that matter in the basket of any type of boom lift.
Then lowered to the ground
Vertikal Comment
One wonders what damage these men may have suffered in the groin area? Although the fact that they had short lanyards, well fitted harnesses and that the steel cable would have provided a great deal of shock absorption might have saved them from the worst?
The fact that they were huddled together may have also helped a little in avoiding suspension trauma?
One thing is for sure, a safety officer/planner will be feeling very happy after the rescue in that the provision and implementation of the right safety equipment has saved at least six or seven lives.
