07.07.2017

Who needs safety equipment?

Spotted in Watford, UK this week, a man using a 62ft boom – excellent – but making no effort to alert passing vehicle that he was partially blocking one lane of the road or to bother with a harness.

Clearly the decision to use a platform for this work at height – painting and caulking – is by the far the most important thing that he could do to make the job safer.

But having gone the expense of renting a platform he – or his employer- has clearly ignored any hand over information and is working from a stretch of road near a corner or junction in spite of this there no cones or warnings, at least from the direction our correspondent was coming.
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Working with chassis protruding into 'live' traffic no cones no warning

As if this was not bad enough he is operating the boom lift at an outreach of around nine metres and a height of 11 metres or so – and has not bothered to put a harness on, let alone attach a short lanyard. If a passing truck was to clip the platform chassis there is a chance that the catapult effect would throw him to the ground – causing serious injury or death, while traumatising anyone passing at the time. At least this unit, a Genie Z-62/40 has no tailswing- making it a little less treacherous.
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Not a harness in sight, in spite of the risks

Definitely one for our Death Wish series. We only hope that our photographer stopped and gave your man some friendly advice?

Have a safe weekend.