30.05.2010

Unsafe system of work

Is climbing onto a roof a safe system of work? A contractor working on a retail park in Hull, UK seems to think so.

A Vertikal.Net reader spotted the men working for a major family owned contractor based in North Lincolnshire, working at height from a tower that was too short and then climbing onto a portico roof to reach the work, in what is clearly not a safe ‘system of work’.
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A safe and efficient method of working at height? No

Our reader says that the location is the Kinsgswood Retail Park in Hull, the men are thought to be sub contractors. What the contractor, which is responsible for the safe system of work on the job, may be forgetting is that should one of these men fall he will be in court along with their employer for not ensuring or insisting that the method statement or a safe system of work was being followed.

In spite of working in such a dangerous manner which clearly qualifies as a Death Wish, the men have their hi-viz jackets on – wrong priorities surely?