11.11.2015

New application?

Spotted online by a reader in Germany, a spider lift being used as an abseilers anchor point – good idea or crass stupidity?

We do not know exactly where this occurred, but we do know that the machine is a Teupen owned by rental company Böhm-Lift whcih is based in the Berlin region of Northern Germany. So with this knowledge and looking at the building design, there is a strong chance that it is the city of Berlin. We also believe that it occurred very recently - possibly even today.
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An unorthodox use of a spider lift

The man is pressure washing the wall of an internal courtyard and has the perfect type of machine for the job, but for one reason or another – probably due to the fact that this particular machine does not have a great deal of below ground reach, and perhaps access from below is a problem or a hassle?

So the solution he came up with is to abseil from the basket. Why he chose not to abseil from the top of the building, or use a suspended cradle – which Böhm-Lift also offers for rent – is a mystery.

One has to wonder if the anchor point has the required factor of safety – the whole machine would probably struggle to cope with a dynamic load caused by a sudden free fall coming to an abrupt stop.
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A closer look - talk about exiting the platform!

In the translated words of our correspondent - "I found this on facebook and can not understand how any rental company would be proud of this application example".

This one certainly qualifies for our Death Wish Series on the basis that he has clearly used the technique over the void to the lower floor. Your views on the pros and cons of this solution would of course be welcome.