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#1 Posted : 12 February 2002 13:11:00(UTC)
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Posted By Jim Walker
I've just asked a roofing contractor to leave our site.He was working on a pitched roof. I observed him carefully fit his harness, specified by his companies safe system of work. I then watched him working on the roof for a full ten minutes before calling him down.

He was quite adamant that he was working safely as he was wearing a harness and couldn't see why he ought to actually attach it to something. I can only assume he thought it was some form of parachute.
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#2 Posted : 13 February 2002 10:44:00(UTC)
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Posted By Ken Taylor
Presumably he came down the easy way when you called him, Jim. There seems to be no end to the folly of some people when working at height. I remember once seeing someone stepping over the edge protection on a roof whilst carrying a ladder and with people beneath him in order to take a short cut from one part of the roof to another. (Nearly a short cut to Eternity!) Fred Dibner may have a lot to answer for.
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#3 Posted : 13 February 2002 11:24:00(UTC)
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Posted By Richard
How nice to have the opportunity to keep contractors on the straight and narrow.

I have been told that I must not speak directly with contractors, as my insistence on PPE, edge protection, fork lift safety and other minor items is causing the project to be delayed!!

Yes, I am the company health and safety officer!

Richard
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#4 Posted : 13 February 2002 12:33:00(UTC)
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Posted By Robert K Lewis
My only question is "Why leave it 10 minutes?" You, from the operatives viewpoint, obviously didn't think it too dangerous as you didn't stop him immediately. There was obviously no edge protection and one must question also why this method of work was allowed - It is at the bottom of the heirarchy in the CHSW Regs - reg. 6

Bob
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#5 Posted : 13 February 2002 13:28:00(UTC)
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Posted By Nick Higginson
Gents,

Although Robert was the only one brave enough to say it, my first thought was why leave it 10 minutes? What would have happened if he had fallen off, and it was mentioned in court that the Safety Practitioner had watched him do it the wrong way? I must also agree with RObert about the hierarchy of control. We have recently trained out our own hierarchy for overhead line work: 1. MEWP 2. Ladder 3. Attached climbing.
By the way, for some good pictures of idiots working at height, visit www.uksafety.net

Regards,

Nick
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