We all have to go, but this is bizarre, poor fellow

[GB]

"Man crushed by telescopic urinal in central London dies"

[GB]

Like this one, I guess.

[Tim+]

I wonder what kind and how many safeguards they have to prevent limb/foot/body entrapment whilst they are descending (and why they didn’t work this time)? Very sad and I would imagine horrific for any witnesses.

Tim

[Andy Burns]

sounded like it was an engineer working underneath it not a member of the public (you'd still expect safeguards, but e.g. lift shafts are pretty dangerous places, anyone working there would be expected to know the rules)

[GB]

I was involved (peripherally, and after the event) in a case where a lift dropped as someone was stepping out of it, with fatal consequences for the person who was crushed.

In that case, the lift had malfunctioned quite a few times before the fatal accident.

This case is very different, as I'd expect that an engineer working on the toilet would have at least some responsibility for making it safe to work on. Nevertheless, there's the possibility that he was the victim of some design or manufacture failure.

I do feel sorry for the fellow and his family.

[Robin]

I struggle to see how the incident could have benefited from "about 25 firefighters" in attendance.

[Sam Plusnet]

I'm sure such a device would have safety interlocks fitted - perhaps several interlocks. The problem is that, in order for an engineer to do some necessary tasks, many or all of those interlocks have to be defeated.

I have never worked on pop-up toilets, but the same situation occurs when working on electrical/electronic cabinets.

[jim.gm4dhj]

because they are mob handed work shy lay-a-bouts

[Colin Bignell]

In one of the pictures, about a third of those look as though they are holding the thing up. They would need at least one relief crew available and some would probably be out of sight, trying to get lifting bags under the base.

[Rod Speed]

Very badly designed if that is the case.

[Paul]

The design looks to have an access hatch in front of it.

They eventually got a crane onto it. It looks like they weren't able to lift it right out of the street. When the firefighters were working on it, it was half-ways lifted. The crane managed to get it to the elevated position.

And crush injuries incur a bizarre twist of fate. The act of lifting the load off of you, is what kills you. A person can be lucid (can see you're trying to help them), while you're working on them and the weight is still present. The instant you lift off, they're gone. The rescuers in this case, would know that. I don't know if there is anything you can administer to stabilize them or not. If depends on how much of you is crushed, as to whether this is your fate. And of course, the longer the person is being crushed, their vitals will be going downhill while this is going on. That's why the firemen were trying to lift it off.

"The syndrome was later described by British physician Eric Bywaters in patients during the 1941 wartime bombing of London (the Blitz). It is a reperfusion injury that appears after the release of the crushing pressure. The mechanism is believed to be the release into the bloodstream of muscle breakdown products - notably myoglobin, potassium and phosphorus - that are the products of rhabdomyolysis (the breakdown of skeletal muscle damaged by ischemic conditions)."

Paul

[Brian Gaff]

Telescopic? Sounds like either bad design or not put up right. Brian

[Andy Burns]

Having never seen of of these urinals, there seem to be some that actully are telescopic, i.e. an 8' tall urinal retracts into a 4' hole in the pavement, and others that remain a fixed height and merely popup out of the ground.

From the pictures, it seems the one in question is a "UriLift Triple"

Depends whether the engineer was playing fast and loose overiding the interlocks?

[Rod Speed]

Must be if they need 27 fireys to hold it up until they can put in something to stop it falling in the hole again.

Doesnt ,make any sense to spend heaps to make the damned things pop out of the ground either.

[Rod Speed]

If its designed properly it shouldnt be possible to do that and kill yourself.

[ARW]

Putting in a bit of overtime in to make up for lost wages when they go on strike?

[Dave W]

Out of interest, how do you make them pop up? Smartphone required?

[Colin Bignell]

They are not available on request. They are raised at night and lowered during the day.

[Rod Speed]

Makes even less sense.

[Colin Bignell]

They are there to give an alternative to urinating in corners after the pubs and bars shut.