Created: 04 September 2008
Today's example comes from a reader in the Baltic states, you have all heard of standing on the roof of a van to reach something, these tradesmen used the van and a ladder to reach the window or sign they were working on.
While clearly a high risk, especially getting on and off the ladder not to mention all the other dangers.
In spite of the suicidal nature of this rig-up, one wonders if a properly engineered roof rack/bracket with proper guardrails might have a place? ... although a small trailer lift or spider lift would be a lot more practical and a lot safer.
Created: 04 September 2008
An 80-storey tower with revolving floors giving a shifting shape, will be built in Dubai, its architect says.
The Dynamic Tower design is made up of 80 pre-fabricated apartments which will spin independently of one another.
"It's the first building that rotates, moves, and changes shape," said architect David Fisher, who is Italian, at a news conference in New York.
"This building never looks the same, not once in a lifetime," he added.
The 420-metre (1,378-foot) building's apartments would spin a full 360 degrees, at voice command, around a central column by means of 79 giant power-generating wind turbines located between each floor.
The slender building would be energy self-sufficient as the turbines would produce enough electricity to power the entire building and even feed extra power back into the grid, said the Italian architect at the unveiling of the project in New York
Created: 02 September 2008
Accident example 1
A farmer died five days after falling through a fragile roof. He was cleaning and inspecting asbestos cement sheets. The roof gave way under his weight and he fell nearly 3 m onto a concrete floor, suffering injuries to his head.
Accident example 2
A farm worker died after falling 4 m through the roof of a farm building. He was using a single scaffold board to walk on the roof and had been standing on this while he cut away some damaged fibre cement roof sheets. As he stood up on the board after cutting the sheets he lost his balance and fell backwards through the roof to the concrete floor below.
Created: 31 August 2008
Three more examples of inappropriate and dangerous working at height came in yesterday, once again demonstrating the opportunities that still exist even in the developed market.
Today's example may not look as bad as some we have seen, however the highest number of deaths and serious injuries result from relatively low level falls where people are complacent.
Perhaps the worst thing about this use of a trestle stand as a form of stand alone access is that a fully equipped alloy tower is available on site. Just seems that this man could not be bothered to get it out.
Created: 29 August 2008
Clear Cleaning Limited - working in conjunction with a respected fabricating company - is in the process of designing and producing a fully CE marked Mobile Dead-Weight Trolley.
Designed specifically for use on the roofs of commercial properties, Clear Cleaning's new Trolley provides a portable suspension anchor for personnel concerned with Rope Access and Fall Arrest. It is easy to assemble, simple to move from one location to another, and invaluable in situations where a rescue has become necessary.
Like other Trolleys on the market, Clear Cleaning's model is designed for one man to manoeuvre with ease, and its 150 kg of counter-balance weights locks into place once the wheels have been disengaged - but unlike most of the competition, the Clear Cleaning Trolley will have all of the required CE Markings.
Created: 24 August 2008
A construction boss from Mansfield failed to properly plan or supervise a lifting operation on one of his sites, during which a bricklayer fell two metres from an unprotected wall and sustained serious injuries.
Simon Ludgate, manager of Real Estate (Midlands) Ltd, appeared at Nottingham Crown Court on 8 August to answer charges over the incident, which happened on 6 November 2006.
The court heard that structural steelwork was being fitted to support the roof of one of the houses being constructed on the site in Ravenshead, Mansfield. Although a steelwork contractor had been used for this job on another plot on the site, in this instance Ludgate instructed the workers - a group of agency workers, and one of his own employees - to do it themselves.
HSE Principal Inspector Frank Lomas explained the set-up to SHP: "There was access scaffolding around the outside of the building, and a work platform about 7ft up. It had a toe-board and a top guardrail but there was nothing to prevent a fall from the inside edge of the platform into the building itself."
Created: 01 May 2008
Officials in New York are trying to work out how a window-cleaner survived a 47-storey fall from a skyscraper.
They think 37-year-old Alcides Moreno clung on to a piece of his platform as he fell - and it acted as a surfboard in the air, slowing his fall.
He remains in critical condition in hospital but has been able to move his arms and legs and open his eyes.
Dr Sheldon Teperman, at Jacobi Medical Centre in The Bronx, told the New York Post: "Fifty per cent of people who fall four to five storeys die.
"By the time you reach 10 or 11 storeys, just about everyone dies. This guy absolutely should have died."