27.10.2023

Doing it the hard way

Spotted earlier this week by a reader in La Jolla, California two men repainting the wall of a large commercial building.
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In spite of the size and height of the work, not to mention the ready availability of powered access rental locally the two are attempting the work using a single eight metre ladder and a long handled spray gun. They have at taken care to place plastic sheeting over the parked cars.
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In order reach the top part of the work the ladder is at a slightly steeper angle that ideal, raising the chances of the painter falling backwards, especially as he does not have a free hand to hold onto the ladder.
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If our man should fall, the landing looks relatively soft, and the risk not that high, but even forgetting the poor practice – a trailer, truck mount or spider lift located in one of the parking spots might have been the best way to go? Although to be fair deciding on the best access equipment would have been challenging. However, this hardly an efficient method of work, in a place where the average pay for a painter ranges from $20 for a new recruit to $25 an hour. On top of that the quality of the work is likely to be poor, understandably when staying on the ladder is your number one priority.

While marginal we think it can go into our Death Wish series
Have a safe weekend