05.06.2026

Greek balancing act

Spotted in Kalymnos, Greece, by a reader these workers were re-pointing a wall while balancing precariously on scaffold and wooden planks without any safety equipment in sight.

The man on the top plank has no personal safety equipment and, if he or the plank were to slip, he could fall onto the man below, potentially causing life-changing head injuries, particularly as neither of them are wearing helmets. The man on the ground is not out of the firing line either - one slip could turn the whole setup into a domino fall of planks, scaffold and people.

This may be just one example, but it is not an uncommon sight on small Greek islands. Our contact also said they saw no aerial elevating work platforms on the island, and only a few older excavators, which raises the question of what people do when the right equipment is not available. Even so, there was clear potential to make the work safer. Either way, it is one for our Death Wish series.

Have a safe and enjoyable weekend