04.01.2011

Googled Death Wish

A reader using Goggle Earth was amazed when he came across a classic Death Wish caught by the Google cameras.

The Google Earth page covers Pound Street in Leixlip, Ireland and shows a man using a farm tractor with front end loader. Our man is standing in the elevated bucket while he leans forward and works on a lamp post. Please register to see all images

Spotted on Google Earth a classic case of dangerous work at height

While this is a classic form of powered access for many farm yards, it is a rare sight on the public highway. The number of accidents that occur when using this form of access is inordinately high given that the man in the bucket has no protection from falling at all.
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A close up of the man at work

Most accidents when doing this seem to come when moving – lifting lowering or moving forward. In this case it looks as though there is no one in the cab. So we had to wonder if the man up top climbed up the loader frame to reach the bucket, or if the operator has nipped off for a tea break?