31.07.2019
Forks and crate
Spotted by a reader in Ischgl, Austria, a man working from a wooden crate lifted by a three wheel internal industrial forklift.
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Man in a wood box
The man – working at a height of around six metres – is a member of a three person tree trimming crew at the popular ski resort. The crate/box does not appear to be particularly well secured to the forks, and appears to be too short to prevent the man falling out should the forklift hit an obstacle or stop suddenly. Although the box might well slip off the forks at that point. He is wearing a hi viz garment, but that will not be of much use should he fall.
The team have a single cone out, which appears to be the only safety measure they have taken. All for the want of renting in the right equipment, which would have made the job both safer and more efficient.
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A closer look
Definitely one for our Death Wish series.
Sherm
I’m late at seeing this incident. I’d say these 3 hands aren’t tree trimmers but fellows dispatched without PPE to round-off street trees. Graeme nailed it well about the box and their future possibility. It is very possible the property manager or owner is one of the three. Trained skilled dedicated safety-laden arborists would not take these chances starting with the indoor lift. I am a realist which keeps me safe and allows me to go home safe when the work is finished. Those of us who do the work correctly are not enough in number to offset amateurs who do work like this. We can just shake our head and keep teaching those desiring to learn safe procedures and work methods as we go up in the world.
Graeme Davison
Carry on like this and he'll be in a different type of wooden box I think - one designed to go underground, not overhead ! (Not that this box is designed to go overhead either !)