HSE continues investigation into fatal UK boom collapse

The UK's Health and Safety Executive (HSE) has released a statement confirming that it is still investigating the collapse of a Genie Z-135/70 boom in June, belonging to Kimberly Access.

In the statement the HSE said it was looking at information passed to it concerning an incident in Australia in which a Genie 135/70 MEWP overturned.

Kimberly Access grounded its fleet of Genie Z-135/70s following the incident on 5 June on the M25 highway, in Buckinghamshire, UK, in which the operator, an experienced Kimberly depot foreman, was killed.

Despite pressure from various parts of the industry on the HSE to carry out the investigation as quickly as possible, the organisation said it could not comment further or provide an indication of when it would be completed.

The full HSE statement reads:

HSE's investigation into the cause of the incident on 5th June is ongoing;

• the Health and Safety Laboratory is currently examining the Genie 135/70 mobile elevating work platform (MEWP);

• HSE is looking at the information passed to us (relating to an incident in Australia in which a Genie 135/70 MEWP overturned) alongside our own investigation; and

• at this stage HSE does not know what caused the recent incident. HSE will take action if our examination finds a serious safety concern.