13.03.2012

Booming mad

Yesterday we received one of the worst Death Wish examples we have seen in some time – where to begin?

The good news starts and probably ends with the fact that this tradesman has selected powered access as the safest and most efficient way to carry out work on a town centre building.

From there it is a disaster! On what looks like a misty or even fogy day in the north east of England the man has transported the a 45ft articulated boom lift with a farm tractor and trailer – probably breaking some laws governing the use of agricultural vehicles there – if only that was all.
Please register to see all images

It is about as wrong as you can get...

Having stopped and parked on double yellow lines – we believe that this was Friday mid-morning- rather than bother unloading the boom, our man operates it from the back of the trailer….totally disregarding any limitations the trailer might have in terms of axle/hub strengths stability etc...

On top of that there is no effort to direct traffic or cordon off the work, and it is not a big jump to assume that he has no permits to work from the street. And it almost seems pointless to ask if he is wearing a harness and short lanyard. At least he is not hypocritical enough to be donning a hi-vis vest and hard hat.

Finally the lift is working over the heads of passing pedestrians, bad enough at the best of times, but when doing something as dodgy as this!? The only saving grace is the fact that in the position he is the boom would come to rest on the roof of the building. Hopefully the photographer did alert our man to what he was doing wrong… although given the nature of this escapade, he might have checked out his escape route first.
Please register to see all images

A closer look

A most definite Death Wish