Just experienced working on a MAST climber which I then refused to use, is this a common problem? I have now left the company life is more important. On a MAST climber 60 ft off the ground with 3 ft width working platform and approximately 15 metres long. Mortar Tubs used to lift mortar onto the platform and used to lift Brick onto the platform. When on the platform moving across the platform was impossible without climbing over the tubs and therefore putting you above the handrail. The site foreman didnt know the weight of the loaded tubs nor did he know where they should be placed. The climber wouldn't move up so they called an erector who said try taking a tub off see if it works? Then two tubs? Then repositioning the tubs. After taking the mortar off and putting the brick close to the MAST it worked. I asked how do you get the mortar on? Reply we will drop it on with tower crane when up in the air? At that point I put tools in my bag and walked off site. I am a bit of a traditionalist and scaffolding works for me, Is this a common fault with MAST Climbers or rather a common problem operating Climbers? Any thoughts appreciated.

What makes it worse, the tower crane was one that was operated remotely, pedestrian operated. The day before the crane operator went for his lunch and we were still on the MAST tower 60 ft above GL when the cranes chains came swinging around the corner towards our MAST tower running full length of the platform, my mate dived for cover it caught the end and then took all the brick guards off brought our profiles crashing down and wrapped around the handrail before whipping itself out. We shouted to stop, the operator came running around the roof area apologising he thought everyone was on lunch and no one was on the scaffold. He thought he was clear of the scaffold but he couldn't see from his vantage point.we were livid with him, and then realised it was the guy who inducted us and told us to report all near misses, we told him to report it. The next day we had left the site as explained below.

Paul, the Principal Contractor went into administration over a week ago, the site has been moth balled and locked up. No one is working there now. You are right though a very dangerous site with the Principal contractor and Sub Contractors having little or no regard to H&S, or maybe they knew of the impending administration and just ignored everything.