04.02.2013

Cutting corners

Spotted last week in London, UK, a builder needing a five metre platform selects a two metre tower instead and uses his own ladder to extend the reach.

The situation is best described by our correspondent: “We often see your ‘death wish’ series in some far-flung location, where perhaps people don’t know better. But we had an incident yesterday in leafy, and expensive, Hampstead.”

“A customer ordered an alloy tower 1.4 metres wide x 2.5 metres long with a two metre platform height, for a morning delivery, and afternoon collection - i.e. a one day hire.”

“When our driver got to site in the afternoon, he rang to say you have to see what they’re doing. We told him to take a photo. Note the mid-guardrail is just below the platform. The toe-boards are laying on the platform, apart from the obvious!!”
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Hire a tower in order to extend your ladder

“They really needed about a five metre platform height tower, but times are tough, so save a few quid and order a smaller one, and improvise!!”

“If it can happen in the centre of London, it can happen anywhere!”

A stunt like this is far more dangerous than it might look, and could have easily ended in tears of the ladder slipped and kicked out the tower - most definitely a Death Wish.