Sunday, July 15, 2012

Modern Day Steeplejacks

Watching a steeplejack company's presentation and promotional video which included their practices regarding safety systems, in one part a steeplejack is climbing the ladders hooking a safety harness then moving up a rung clicking again to the other side, 'what is that?'
I think it's ridiculous and also fall arrest systems these all protect when laddering the chimney and traversing the ladders, yet when I spent over twelve years in the industry, my grandfather and father with over sixty years in the industry free climbing, nobody fell from climbing or erecting the ladders.
Okay prevention is better than cure and reducing the level of risk by any means, but not when that hinders the worker, surely other solutions should be sort.
Installing these systems after the ladders have been erected seems like closing the gate after the horse has bolted
As for the rest of the systems they looked spot on and shows how far the industry has come. I've always thought and said that the steeplejack industry was a head in regards to risk assessment in my day it just lacked the documentation.
I've written an article on Squidoo about my life as a Steeplejack it touches on a small part with a few anecdotes and some of my favourite videos.
Su altitud en la vida depende de su actitud en la vida



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