Aerial platform accident at SAIE show

An aerial platform operator has been injured in an accident on the opening day of the SAIE exhibition in Bologna, Italy.

AI understands that the individual's injuries are not life threatening, and he is currently recovering in hospital in Bologna.

A 32 m tracked platform on the CMC stand toppled over at the exhibition, with the basket coming to rest on the roof of an adjoining hall. Bologna emergency services are on the site and the accident zone has been cordoned off.

AI understands that there was one person operating the machine in the basket when it fell. He is understood to be a rental company manager from the Netherlands.

The operator was wearing a harness, which may well have saved his life.

One bystander told AI that the machine was operated with narrow jacking on one side and that the machine fell over on that side, although that cannot be confirmed.

The platform - a CMC SUP32 unit getting its launch at the show as a prototype or pre-production model - hit machines on the neighbouring stand of Cela before coming to rest.

Cela's Simone Scalabrini told AI that he was standing on the deck of the company's 24 m truck mount and had to jump off to avoid being hit.

Italian authorities are now investigating the accident, with the actual cause still unknown. The accident site remained closed at the end of the first day of the show.

Whatever the outcome of the investigation, the accident is likely to spark debate about the adviseability of allowing machines to be operated at trade fairs.