HSE calls for more care after telehandler death

Farmers are being warned to take telehandler safety more seriously after a 36-year-old man was killed when leaning through a broken window.

The man was crushed when the descending boom trapped him as he leant through the window on the right-hand side of the machine. It is the third incident of this type in the past seven years.

In the two earlier incidents operators were thought to have pushed the control joystick inadvertently when leaning through the window, lowering the boom onto themselves – once trapped they were unable to stop the boom descending further.

The incident has prompted the Health and Safety Executive to issue a safety notice recommending all machines in this condition are removed from operation until the window has been replaced.

The window was designed to prevent operator access to the boom and if it has been broken or removed operators may be tempted to lean out of the window to adjust a mirror and may inadvertently lower the boom onto themselves without being able to stop it, the report said.

The safety notice can be viewed at http://www.hse.gov.uk/safetybulletins/telehandlers.htm