Nearly got killed on my bike today

[shouldbeinbed]

And not a moving vehicle within 20 yards

Brand new (to me) Coppi roadie that I had just paid for and was riding under the exit barrier at a different work site to my usual one when it came crashing down on me, It skimmed the peak of my helmet and pinned my bike across the crossbar into the floor with no failsafe stop mechanism, I was lucky to get off and couldn't move it for love nor money until it spontaneously rose for a moment to let me dive under it as it came thudding down again.

House management took a pretty non-descript, back covering report for the accident book (apparently I was off duty because I'd clocked out for my lunch) and sent me on my way.

I will be sending the bill for getting the bike checked over professionally for wheel and under the paint damage to them. ( can you imageine them refusing to pay up if it had come down on a car?).

I'm also sending my own report to our Health and Safety people, a few inches further on and I'd have had the thing smash me in the face and crush my head on the crossbar, most likely finishing my career and costing them an absolute fortune.

The real thing that boild my urine to steam is when I did get out and complained, they told me they knew that barrier was not bike friendly, they knew the sensor had a defect where bikes were concerned and it had done similar to other people before, yet there was no note on the barrier warning cyclists to be careful or use the intercom to ask for the barrier to be manually raised. Apparently they'd put notes on the bikes in the racks at some time in the past. Brilliant for the corporate HQ with a regular stream of infrequent visitors!

An entirely avoidable very frightening incident through what appears to be an unacceptable level of complacency and a couldn't give a stuff about bikes attitude.

 

[fossyant]

Kick up a fuss but do it properly through the right channels, and play it calm. Stress how dangerous it could be

 

[Rohloff_Brompton_Rider]

No win no fee companies would love to make you some money out of this.

 

[wintonbina]

+1 to Stay Calm & get even (more money!). Glad you weren't too badly hurt though!

 

[gaz]

I nearly got walloped by the barrier at work a few months back.
If you touch in right after someone else (it works on a key fob system) then the barrier will still come down after only one vehicle has gone through.

See 1min 50.

 

[shouldbeinbed]

I'm not after money other than making sure my bike is mechanically sound after it, kinda biting the hand and all that with redundancies in the air again, but it was truly dangerous and they f*%@ing knew it was likely to happen and have done nothing about it. I want the negligence punished and no one else to have to go through it.

The place has CCTV, I want to see just how close it was to me. And my reactions may win me £250 on you've been framed.

 

[wisdom]

You have a strong case in the fact that
1,it had a faulty sensor.
2,they had warned people in the past.
3,there is no warning notice.
the bit about you having clocked off is technically unvalid as you were exiting works premices via the correct route.Keep calm and go through the correct channels keep copies of e mails etc.Take photos of the scene and any warning notices.Good luck.

 

[Rohloff_Brompton_Rider]

and if it affects your employment, then claim constructive dismissal, unfair dismissal etc etc.

 

[Crankarm]

Yours would seem to be an open and shut case with no barrier to compensation.

 

[slowmotion]

I nearly got "offed" by one walking out of a car park in France once. Try the CTC people. Everybody says that they are good at looking after cyclists.

 

[shouldbeinbed]

thanks for the advice and Cranky's puns

I've sent a full report to my local Health and Safety rep and the other buildings one and added constructive suggestions as to how it could be prevented from happening again. Polite and factual, the only thing I have asked for is that they pay for a professional to look at the frame, fork and wheels for any under the paint or microscopic crush damage that would weaken the bike and require replacement parts.

I await the response

 

[BlackPanther]

Glad you're physically o.k. Another good reason to have a helmet cam! Keep us posted on the outcome please.


Oh and (jokingly) this would not have happened if you were riding a recumbent as they fit under car park barriers, lol.

 

[RWright]

I nearly got walloped by the barrier at work a few months back.
If you touch in right after someone else (it works on a key fob system) then the barrier will still come down after only one vehicle has gone through.

See 1min 50.

I hope your company will compensate you for bike damage. If I were them I would take it up with gate manufacturer.

Gaz, that was a nice video. You don't see marching bands like that around my area. Was the Queen in one of those cars following them on her way to lunch or something?

 

[markharry66]

lol nice video gaz. Seems a bit of surreal journey into work with Marching bands and pigeons

 

[Drago]

Industrial accident. This is quite likely to be covered by the RIDDOR legislation so this must be reported to the local HSE. Your firm might think they're dodging a financial bullet by keeping it quiet, but if the fines/potential inprisonment that can result from not reporting an industrial accident make any compo claim look tame.

If you were injured you should also report the incident the the DWP who will formally give it their own Industrial Accident status, which would help you when claiming benefits and give you legal protection from a vengeful employer.

But what a bunch of peanuts. They knew is wasn't right but took no measures to remedy the situation. If you'd gone down on your noggin some idiot would be on a very well deserved corporate manslaughter charge.