06.03.2020

Working over the street

Spotted this week in Teignmouth, Devon, in the UK two men using a truck mounted lift showing some examples of good practice, but mostly the opposite.

We understand from our correspondent that the two were removing moss from the roof of a two storey building. They had set up the rented 20 metre truck mount on the opposite side of the street to the house, and done a nice job cordoning it off from traffic.

However they did not bother with outrigger mats, even though it was set up on a tarmac street with the possibility of underground voids or simply a soft surface, and the outriggers set inboard increasing the pressure.
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Traffic passing under the boom

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Pedestrians too

They then proceeded to work over the open street with cars passing underneath along with pedestrians as they crossed the road to a sidewalk closure. Finally the man is working outside of the guardrails but does not appear to be wearing a harness and lanyard.
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a view from the other side

In the words of our correspondent: “Death Wish today in Brunswick Street, Teignmouth, Devon. Brunswick is a busy narrow one way street and this clown was clearing moss from a roof.”

“No road closure or warning signs, traffic and pedestrians passing underneath with moss, or worse, regularly falling onto the street and pavement. Operator with no harness, banksman with no PPE.”
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No harness? And if he falls he could be hit by a passing car as well as the street surface

A Death Wish? Well depends on whether you think working over an open street qualifies? By almost every measure it does. It is nice though to see moss removal being carried out with a platform, rather that a couple of guys standing on the roof with a pressure washer.

The lack of mats, the lack of a harness both add to the risks, so all in all a definite for our Death Wish series.

Have a safe weekend