The deaths of four people after a scissor lift toppled in Saint-Léandre, Que., could have been avoided if the stabilizing arms of the equipment had been deployed, according to report by the coroner’s office.
Coroner Jean-Pierre Chamberland found the scissor lift’s electrical wiring had been modified, allowing the basket to rise up to 50 feet without having to lower the machine’s four stabilizing arms.
Kim Blouin, 24, Émerik Chénard, 27, Jocelyne Bouchard, 53, and Marco Roy, 60, were on the scissor lift when it fell on August 19, 2023, in the small community in eastern Quebec, the report says.
No one witnessed the accident.
People driving along Principale Street, in front of the house, called emergency services after seeing the equipment flipped over.
“At such a height, without these [stabilizers], it takes very few factors to cause the equipment to roll over,” Chamberland wrote, noting that the victims did not exceed the maximum weight of 2,000 pounds for this type of basket.
The coroner noted the malfunctioning of the swing axle, incorrect tire pressure, all four occupants moving to the same side of the platform, the sloped ground or a combination of all of those factors could have contributed to the equipment tipping over.
Height valve malfunctioned
Chamberland’s report emphasized that an inspection of the scissor lift shows its height control valve malfunctioned.
Normally, the safety device prevents the platform from being raised above 22 feet when the arms aren’t activated.
Blouin and Chénard had borrowed the equipment from a neighbouring farmer to finish work on their new house.
According to Chamberland’s findings, the owner of the scissor lift said he didn’t modify the equipment since buying it and only performed “normal maintenance.”
The investigation shows no new compliance inspections were carried out at the time of ownership changes in 2015 or 2020, contrary to the requirements of regulatory standards.
The coroner made no recommendations in connection with the accident.