15.10.2013

Scaffold tower mania

A couple of scaffold tower examples at the opposite end of the spectrum… But which is most dangerous?

One was spotted by a reader in the UK this week in Clifton court, Folkestone Kent, which showed two towers linked by a portico roof for a total height of around 14 metres? A walk through base is topped by ladder frames which is use to get the users up on top of the portico, assuming a ladder is used to get up the first two metres or so. Then a single width tower is stood on top of the portico and rises around 10 metres but it does look as though it might be tied in and there are guardrailed rest platforms all the way up – all very good. And finally an odd little cantilever platform – only thing obviously missing are toe boards on the work platform, but perhaps that is not a work platform? Perhaps it’s a complex way of reaching the top floor?
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The tower in Folkestone Kent

In the words of our reader: “Wow look at the tower I saw in Folkestone Kent.”
A little hairy – but unsafe?

At the same time a reader in Germany spotted a single width rolling scaffold tower base being used at Berlin Tegel airport by a man installing glass panels in the overhead portico. He has the platform set at a height of over three metres, no guardrails, not level, no outriggers or other stability measures and as if that’s not bad enough he is leaning over to take a glass panel from his colleague below! The chances of this scaffold going over are exceptionally high. Alternatively the man could easily fall on top of his colleague and the glass panel.
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Leaning over to grab a large pane of glass

In the words of our reader: “For me it was shocking to see this guy working on this narrow rolling tower without any stabilisers and sidebars on top. The guy was placing glass panels in the covering/roof. One picture shows one person giving to glass panel to the guy bending over to lift it on the rolling tower.“

“Amazing to see that there are airport security people (in yellow, standard procedure of working on the plane platform) and not taking any action to this. Would expect that using a scissor lift would be much safer and also more efficient."
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Placing the glass

This one is almost suicidal – A definite Death Wish.