08.09.2014
Lifting himself to the roof
Spotted in Austria earlier this summer a tower crane operator using his crane to lift himself onto the upper floors of a new high rise building using the crane’s remote controller.
The scene is probably best described by our correspondent: “Look closely at the picture, and you’ll see that this is actually the crane driver on the hook! He was lifting himself to the roof of the five-story Hotel Kitzhof in Kitzbuehel, Austria on Saturday morning 5th July this year, next door to our hotel. This site, operated by Ideal Bau, a large contractor in the Tyrol area, didn’t seem to bother about safety helmets, boots or safety harnesses when doing major work on the sloping roof, even in the rain. The panic when a thunderstorm started while the roof was open was a joy to see!”
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Riding the crane hook in Austria
“Incidentally, the Kitzhof was taking guests even though the doors to room balconies had planks nailed across them.”
“We noticed that standards dropped badly on the Saturday mornings, loads were badly slung, we have pictures of slipping loads and men climbing into the top one of a pile of skips, maybe the supervisors don’t appear!”
“Strangely enough, their hardware is top quality, electric tower crane and mixers and system-built scaffolding with staircases rather than ladders. However, the scaffolds on the corners don’t quite meet and we have seen workers climbing between them above a three-floor drop. It seems normal to lift loads above adjacent buildings, skips both with and without contents flew over our heads all day.”
The act of riding a crane hook is crazy enough, we are not sure if controlling the crane yourself is better or worse, probably slightly safer?? Either way no question about it a definite one for our Death Wish series.
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A closer look
Gideon
I am building my own house and using a self erecting crane. I have done a lot of work from the crane using a tree surgeons harness incorporating a seat and the crane remote control. I cannot fall, everything happens underneath me, and I know what is happening at the crane hook and am very careful about crane loading, much more than if I was not attached to the hook. The main risk is a power failure, which would require someone on the ground to release the hoist brake. It is much safer than my scaffolding or my scissor lift.
This man doesn't appear to have any fall protection, I'm amazed he can even stay on, as the crane moves and the block swings.