27.03.2012

A latter day ??

A couple of weeks ago the spire of a new Mormon church was lifted into place in the town of Prescott Valley, Arizona.

General contractor Zwick Construction of Salt Lake City called in a boom truck to place the spire structure onto the church roof.
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The boom truck prepares to lift the spire structure

After the structure was secured in place the last remaining job was to top the 21 metre structure with its ball and spire tip.This required a man to go up and carefully locate it, just the job for an 80ft boom lift, you’d think? Or perhaps an integrated boom truck work platform attachment?
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Placing the top of the spire the tough way

No! for whatever reason the contractor or his sub-contractor elected to lift a man up on the hook of the boom truck, complete with ball and spire tip in hand.
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A closer look shows the access equipment and technique

The equipment does not even appear to have been a properly constructed ‘bosuns chair’, more a wooden swing seat and rope/belt. Our man was wearing a harness though and this was attached to the single line hoist cable above the headache ball.
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The man does have a harness attached to the cable above the headache ball

However if the ball had broken free from the cable, I am not sure of the man’s chances as the ball dropped into his lap?

A most definite Death Wish and as our correspondent says: “A-Z Crane appears to be the boom truck supplier, there are five rental company locations within five miles of this job that could have supplied proper equipment, lucky this didn't have a worse ending!”

Mormon Church is also known as the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.