In the news, on September 5th, an accident occurred between a bucket truck and a railroad overpass.
Those who witnessed the incident advised that the truck was turning onto the street, traveling with the bucket in the air. The truck then collided into the overpass, spilling hydraulic fluid onto the street. The road was closed so local firefighters could clean up the spillage.
There are many different risks associated with bucket trucks. One of those hazards is contact with either ground-level or overhead objects. As seen with this incident, the bucket contacted with an overhead object and caused damage to the truck. Although the article does not mention of any injuries to the driver, it goes without saying that the driver could have been severely injured. Instead, he and was lucky enough to avoid injury. So, when traveling with a bucket truck, what should be done?
Never Travel with the Bucket of the Truck Suspended
This should go without saying, but you should never travel with the bucket suspended in the air, or with personnel in the bucket. In this instance, the truck was damaged and hydraulic fluid began to spill onto the street. If the story was a bit different and someone was in the bucket during this transport, they would have collided with the overpass, fallen out of the bucket, and suffered serious injury or death.
Travel with the Bucket Stored Properly:
When traveling to the next job site, or even just down the road, put the bucket down into a secure position. By doing this, it will keep the bucket out of the way from colliding into overhead objects such as bridges, trees, telephone lines, and other hazards.
In all cases, follow proper protocols when it comes to operating a bucket truck.
For more safety information, visit our web site at www.hardhattraining.com, or take a look at our Bucket Truck Safety Training here.
Good luck, and stay safe!