There are technically safer ways to do this, but they are honestly impractical in most situations. The way this is pictured is how the job is done in the real world 90% of the time.
That's always my thought when a picture like this shows up. Everyone rails on how "unsafe" it is. Fuck off, you go do it then you chair jockey. Do it the safest way possible. Have fun. Most people can't comprehend that there is such a thing as too safe. Where it loops all the way back around to being unsafe.
People don't understand the cost of immaculate safety when it comes to construction/ maintenance. Setting up scaffolding or renting an aerial lift would be the safest way to tackle this job but that's expensive and homeowners want the cheapest quote. You can't approach every job in the residential/ commercial field with an expectation of the same resources available at a place like a refinery or chemical plant.
If you start a company and give quotes to home and business owners that included the cost of scaffolding erection or equipment rentals, you'd never get a single job. There are 3 other guys quoting the job and willing to do it off an extension ladder with questionable fall arrest gear.
Good approach. Hopefully insurance companies force contractors to have better safety protocols over having their premiums raised as time goes on. If there is one thing insurers are good for, it's finding better ways to avoid paying out for claims in the future, which forces everyone to be more risk averse
If you cant afford to "nut up" and start your own business that runs safely then you can't afford it, you aren't owed shit and nobody else is asking for that kind of hand out.
Imagine instead of safety equipment it was paying minimum wage. The only way I could afford to start my own roofing company that would beat out my other local guys would be by using the cheapest material possible and paying my workers in IOUs. Oh you think I should pay my workers money? Well mr fancy pants why dont you nut up and try starting your own business! How else am I supposed to charge less than the established guys with experience in my area?
The answers should be obvious, it sounds like I can't afford to run a business at all then and I don't get to out compete with the local guys just because I want to.
I have my own roofing company. I hire and train accordingly. I charge more for services than is typical, but what the client gets is something they won't receive from a big block entity. You pay for what you get.
Yes, much better to risk everything when one of your workers gets injured or killed.
My sons are commercial roofers. Their boss provides them with good equipment and expects them to be safe but he also recognizes that they're not going to tie off for every little job. They're professionals and they know how much sketch they're comfortable with but they'd walk off the job if the boss directed them to do something that could get someone hurt.
Every action you take, inherently, comes with a risk. From working atop cellular towers to washing your dishes. Its up to everyone to assess and decide how safe they need to make the situation to take action. In the military we called it ORM, Operational Risk Management. Everything from 72 libos to assault operations would use nearly the same process to assess and mitigate those hazards, as necessary. Same thing we do in our everyday lives, they just write it down. Common sense with a dash of awareness will keep you safe and productive.
I mean it mostly just Reddit that says this stuff. I’m an electrician, if you go on the electrical sub Reddit all those people are actually saying stuff like they won’t go on a 10 foot step ladder that’s too dangerous, and they won’t change a light fixture or fan without having a LIFT brought in to a customers house. If you ask “how much would you charge to change this light?” I swear Reddit is insane they are like hmmmm 4 grand minimum
After accidents at the snap on repair plants they cracked down hard.
Harness and lanyard on the scissor lift to change light bulbs mounted at 8 feet. Shortest lanyard available is 6 feet. Employee nearly topples out of the lift when the lanyard that was too long to prevent impact got tangled up in his feet
There are no alternatives, you get scaffolding and add around £1000 onto your quote or you get a MEWP for the same.
Yes, houses should all have mezzanines around their chimneys, good luck getting the legislation through to add them to the hundreds of millions of buildings already built.
Well I'm in Norway and we had new rules a few years ago. Now I'm not a professional in the field, just a homeowner that had to read up alittle to follow the rules so I don't know all the details...
Basically all chimneys now need to have access, usually in the form of an approved ladder system bolted to the roof and if necessary platforms/walkways chimney sweepers to safely stand on. This includes a raised platform on the side of the chimney (what you call a mezzanine I think) if the chimney is too tall to reach from roof level. If your chimney access is not up to code your chimney won't be swept or inspected, and if it can't be swept/inspected within a certain time you will not be allowed to use it.
More or less. Basic ladders have been mandatory for years, and the current rules have existed for new builds since the 90's IIRC. Most older ladders are just hooked over the crest of the roof and have to be replaced to be legal with current rules. So basically everything build before the 90's needed new ladders and possibly walkways/platforms.
I had one of those old ladders, it came crashing down with the snow a couple of winters ago...
There are alternatives. Easiest I can think of is a spider type lift, you can rent those for 200-300 euros for a day. You would buy one if you have a chimney repair company.
There are multiple easy ways to make this safer. Like a scaffold, or getting a ladder that actually reaches the landing surface and doesn't have a 4 foot gap between the top and where you need to be
Legit question: so renting a JLG 180 and using the massive reach to access this from the street isn't going to happen in the real world... Nor setting up a gigantic scaffolding system...
And that "chimney" is slapped together with 2x4's, stapled 7/16 sheathing, and vinyl siding so it wouldn't provide a 5,000lb anchorage point................ what's the correct approach to do this job??
Most correct sounding setup I can imagine is a roof anchor near the ridge with leading edge & foot level tie off rated retractable. Small anchor w/rachet strap holding an adjustable A frame on the side of the chimney rather than uphill side..
Good luck selling the higher labor costs of the safest crew but hasn't that always been the case.
Well see you have to park a truck on each side of the house and throw a ball of string over the house, then use that to pull a rope over. Next you use the rope to pull a larger strap with mount points on it, tie it to the trucks and use that for harness straps.
And if you can't get a vehicle in the back yard of course you have to dig a footing, pour a new concrete structure, and come back in a few days when it's dry.
No, no, that's absolutely something you don't do. I don't know what the correct answer is, but it's definitely not tie off to the boom that likely isn't rated for a shock side load, nor would it have anchor points.
Correct, you absolutely could not perform fall arrest off one, as they’re typically rated at 150kg, not the 6kN shock load of a person falling 2 meters- although anecdotally we’ve seen them take this perfectly well, as that is what happens to a user who gets flicked out of the basket.
Fall restraint though, would work perfectly well. It would not meet codes of practise, it would not be within manufacturer’s guidelines, but from a purely practical and functional standpoint- fall restraint from a boom (stabilised) would work perfectly well.
This is my whole job. Working out safe methods of high access. Sometimes, the best you can do is work within the realms of what is reasonably practicable.
that is what happens to a user who gets flicked out of the basket.
That doesn’t mean you should aim for it. By removing the risk of a fall, and a shock, by staying in restraint, you have a significantly better system with less risk to the worker.
Fall arrest should only be used when workers need to be mobile. If they’re staying in place, such as working on a chimney, there is no reason for them to be unrestrained.
I get what you're saying, but we all know an aerial lift is rated for a human swinging around and shock loading their lanyard off the tie in point. If it wasn't, what would he the point in tying off?
Hell, I’ve got a pic somewhere of my installer standing on top of my chimney with a gas powered concrete saw cutting the concrete cap to insert my liner.
I worked for a chimney company. This is how we did it most of the time. The worst jobs were a boom lift. The owner had the luxury of pricing out shitty jobs, so we avoided it a lot.
They could do it the traditional way before chimney sweeps. I just learned this listening to the latest episode on the Horrible History of Chimney Sweeps from r/lastpodcastontheleft & I’m super excited to share it (also a great & hilarious podcast you should listen to). Before chimney sweeps they would tie a rope around the neck of a big chicken or turkey & then throw them in. As they pulled it out the bird would panic & flail its wings & body around bringing all the soot with it. “The blacker the bird the cleaner the chimney.”
I did this all in HS and after for years. What do you want her to do? Hire a crane and hook a harness to it? Where can you anchor when you are at the top? If there was one at the top it would damage that custom Chase cover. Only on condos would we have anchors on the ridge line and wear harnesses. Even then they do nothing if you fall 10 feet off the chase
The same people freaking out about safety are the same people who FREAK if they see a bill above $150. Homeowners don’t understand they can’t have cheap estimates AND 100% safety for shit like this. Guarantee the quote to either build scaffold or get a proper lift would have made the homeowner scoff
Exactly. I could stop and erect scaffolding but that would take time and that time is $$$. I guess that is the proper way but you’d never get a job just to replace a cap or do a cleaning.
I know you say that in jest, but it’s definitely a drone and I’d wager it’s just an employee who isn’t certified to fly drones for commercial purposes.
At least in the US if they’re taking it for personal reasons (aka the heck it) absolutely fine. But if it’s used for advertising, for any promotional purpose by the company (whether internal or external), or because the company wanted photos of a job for documentation the FAA requires the drone pilot be commercially certified and licensed and there’s a steep fine for the drone pilot and business.
Actually that’s interesting. I’m a Japanese resident and we’re seeing a number of incidents with foreign tourists operating drones in and around historical tourist sites without any restrictions, picture crowded Kyoto streets with 1/2 a dozen personal drones following influencers around, the noise alone is an issue not to mention the fact that they’re operated by amateurs at best. It’s never really been a government safety issue in Japan since it’s not something citizens would ever consider doing. Hopefully sanctions are on the way.
The FAA's nightmare scenario of a manned aircraft colliding with a drone has happened. A small plane up in Canada hit a drone during their landing approach. Fortunately, they still landed safely, but there is no guarantee that will happen every time.
The drone was higher than they are ever supposed to fly, and in a location where they're not allowed to fly at all, but that didn't stop them.
Who was flying the drone? The ROYAL CANADIAN MOUNTED POLICE.
The general public is being regulated over government actors not following government rules.
No safety glasses.
No cone protecting the van.
Customer's car facing the wrong way.
Is anyone footing that ladder?
Does the driver count as rotating equipment? She shouldn't have gloves, and her hair isn't restrained.
With seriousness, these sorts of posts highlight the disconnect of safety and practicality, and how a large portion of the trades is willing to sacrifice the first for the latter. I get it, i am guilty of it. But "safe enough" is such until something does happen.
There would be an objection to a boom for cost.
Scaffolding is not practical.
Retrofitting the chimney and roof with anchor points or any other measure is not within the customer's scope... And would likely need on of the above, anyway.
This narrative and paradigm needs to be examined and discussed. But so long as you have companies willing to work out of their garage and cut corners (at their/their employee's own risk), its a difficult standard to protest.
These comments alone show that standard practice is worth the cost savings and guarantee of business -- until you happen to be guilty of that strong gust of wind and not enough sleep the night before, fall onto the roof and roll down to be impaled by a chain-link fence post. Probable? Likely not. But it is not an impossibility. How much are you willing to play on those odds?
Instead of asking why everyone is getting hotheaded about people working unsafe, i think we should all ask ourselves why we are willing to accept the current economy and practice that encourages ourselves to work unsafely.
I promise you that the customer, your insurance company, and your contracts are not going to be phased a week after you die.
We are only playing the best we can with the cards we are dealt, I know. I am probably guilty of being that person kneeling atop of a column with a loosely supported ladder be eath me at some point. That doesnt mean i was correct in being up there, or that my boss was correct it asking me to do it. And i also know that should the job have been quoted for scaffolding, a lift, whatever else i may not have had the opportunity to make money that day.
But none of that makes it okay in the end, does it?
Hopefully the ladder extended 3' above the top of that chimney structure before they moved it so he could work. There ain't no way to tie off there. It's quicker to do the work he needs to do and get down than it would be to do the work, or he's inspecting the inside of the stove pipe. He had to take it apart. He took the extra part in case it was needed. There's no use getting back up there again to fix it. Too risky.
My first thought here is, "Where is her hard hat?"
Doing roof work 100% safely requires extensive equipment and setup that simply don't make sense for smaller scale jobs, so going without is very common.
That doesn't mean that the basics should be ignored along with the rest.
The Last Podcast on the Left just released an episode yesterday about the horrible history of chimney sweeps. It’s dark humor but it’s very funny. Before chimney sweeps were a thing, they would tie a rope around the neck of a live chicken or turkey & then pull it up from the top. As the bird flung it’s body around & flailed it’s wings it would sweep up the soot.
There are technically safer ways to do this, but they are honestly impractical in most situations. The way this is pictured is how the job is done in the real world 90% of the time.
That's always my thought when a picture like this shows up. Everyone rails on how "unsafe" it is. Fuck off, you go do it then you chair jockey. Do it the safest way possible. Have fun. Most people can't comprehend that there is such a thing as too safe. Where it loops all the way back around to being unsafe.
People don't understand the cost of immaculate safety when it comes to construction/ maintenance. Setting up scaffolding or renting an aerial lift would be the safest way to tackle this job but that's expensive and homeowners want the cheapest quote. You can't approach every job in the residential/ commercial field with an expectation of the same resources available at a place like a refinery or chemical plant.
If you start a company and give quotes to home and business owners that included the cost of scaffolding erection or equipment rentals, you'd never get a single job. There are 3 other guys quoting the job and willing to do it off an extension ladder with questionable fall arrest gear.
Why I always check if they’re bonded and insured. I don’t want to foot the Workers Comp bill.
Good approach. Hopefully insurance companies force contractors to have better safety protocols over having their premiums raised as time goes on. If there is one thing insurers are good for, it's finding better ways to avoid paying out for claims in the future, which forces everyone to be more risk averse
Yes and that is a problem not a good thing
Nut up and try risking everything financially to start your own business to compete in some tight markets.
If you want to be your own boss, while trying to undercut other quotes, you better be willing to compromise safety because that's the bottom line now
If you cant afford to "nut up" and start your own business that runs safely then you can't afford it, you aren't owed shit and nobody else is asking for that kind of hand out.
Imagine instead of safety equipment it was paying minimum wage. The only way I could afford to start my own roofing company that would beat out my other local guys would be by using the cheapest material possible and paying my workers in IOUs. Oh you think I should pay my workers money? Well mr fancy pants why dont you nut up and try starting your own business! How else am I supposed to charge less than the established guys with experience in my area?
The answers should be obvious, it sounds like I can't afford to run a business at all then and I don't get to out compete with the local guys just because I want to.
Like damn cant you hear how entitled you sound?
I have my own roofing company. I hire and train accordingly. I charge more for services than is typical, but what the client gets is something they won't receive from a big block entity. You pay for what you get.
Yes, much better to risk everything when one of your workers gets injured or killed.
My sons are commercial roofers. Their boss provides them with good equipment and expects them to be safe but he also recognizes that they're not going to tie off for every little job. They're professionals and they know how much sketch they're comfortable with but they'd walk off the job if the boss directed them to do something that could get someone hurt.
Every action you take, inherently, comes with a risk. From working atop cellular towers to washing your dishes. Its up to everyone to assess and decide how safe they need to make the situation to take action. In the military we called it ORM, Operational Risk Management. Everything from 72 libos to assault operations would use nearly the same process to assess and mitigate those hazards, as necessary. Same thing we do in our everyday lives, they just write it down. Common sense with a dash of awareness will keep you safe and productive.
I mean it mostly just Reddit that says this stuff. I’m an electrician, if you go on the electrical sub Reddit all those people are actually saying stuff like they won’t go on a 10 foot step ladder that’s too dangerous, and they won’t change a light fixture or fan without having a LIFT brought in to a customers house. If you ask “how much would you charge to change this light?” I swear Reddit is insane they are like hmmmm 4 grand minimum
After accidents at the snap on repair plants they cracked down hard.
Harness and lanyard on the scissor lift to change light bulbs mounted at 8 feet. Shortest lanyard available is 6 feet. Employee nearly topples out of the lift when the lanyard that was too long to prevent impact got tangled up in his feet
I always told the safety manager at work the most dangerous thing in the building is the guy who thinks everything is safe. Because rules exist.
He hated me until he quit
Well, how about we have a discussion about what alternatives might exist and how important it is for structures to be built with safety in mind.
There are no alternatives, you get scaffolding and add around £1000 onto your quote or you get a MEWP for the same.
Yes, houses should all have mezzanines around their chimneys, good luck getting the legislation through to add them to the hundreds of millions of buildings already built.
Some countries manage that just fine...
Really, which?
Well I'm in Norway and we had new rules a few years ago. Now I'm not a professional in the field, just a homeowner that had to read up alittle to follow the rules so I don't know all the details...
Basically all chimneys now need to have access, usually in the form of an approved ladder system bolted to the roof and if necessary platforms/walkways chimney sweepers to safely stand on. This includes a raised platform on the side of the chimney (what you call a mezzanine I think) if the chimney is too tall to reach from roof level. If your chimney access is not up to code your chimney won't be swept or inspected, and if it can't be swept/inspected within a certain time you will not be allowed to use it.
So norway is chamging every chimney in the country to have a ladder?
More or less. Basic ladders have been mandatory for years, and the current rules have existed for new builds since the 90's IIRC. Most older ladders are just hooked over the crest of the roof and have to be replaced to be legal with current rules. So basically everything build before the 90's needed new ladders and possibly walkways/platforms.
I had one of those old ladders, it came crashing down with the snow a couple of winters ago...
There are alternatives. Easiest I can think of is a spider type lift, you can rent those for 200-300 euros for a day. You would buy one if you have a chimney repair company.
They have a Little Giant ladder, they know what they’re doing.
There are multiple easy ways to make this safer. Like a scaffold, or getting a ladder that actually reaches the landing surface and doesn't have a 4 foot gap between the top and where you need to be
Legit question: so renting a JLG 180 and using the massive reach to access this from the street isn't going to happen in the real world... Nor setting up a gigantic scaffolding system...
And that "chimney" is slapped together with 2x4's, stapled 7/16 sheathing, and vinyl siding so it wouldn't provide a 5,000lb anchorage point................ what's the correct approach to do this job??
Not taking pictures, for starters.
The picture was taken by a guy in the JLG 180.
Literally LOL'd.
Na it's AI
Nobody on the chimney is taking any selfies. It obviously a drone shot.
Nahh, they rented a JLG 180 for the photographer
You can do crime. Just don't take pictures and post them on social media.
They mean don’t have pictures taken, as it’s proof of the clear OSHA violation
Per another comment:
Right….
Followed by posting said photos on Facebook
If there aren’t any witnesses it didn’t happen.
Have Fred Dibnah do it.
More of a man than me, and I'm fine with that!
Aye.
Most correct sounding setup I can imagine is a roof anchor near the ridge with leading edge & foot level tie off rated retractable. Small anchor w/rachet strap holding an adjustable A frame on the side of the chimney rather than uphill side.. Good luck selling the higher labor costs of the safest crew but hasn't that always been the case.
Do exactly what she's doing but as a DBA
Parachute I guess
Maybe the post is about her denting the metal?
Well see you have to park a truck on each side of the house and throw a ball of string over the house, then use that to pull a rope over. Next you use the rope to pull a larger strap with mount points on it, tie it to the trucks and use that for harness straps.
And if you can't get a vehicle in the back yard of course you have to dig a footing, pour a new concrete structure, and come back in a few days when it's dry.
Super easy, really.
Tether to the boom and keep it high. Simple stuff really.
No, no, that's absolutely something you don't do. I don't know what the correct answer is, but it's definitely not tie off to the boom that likely isn't rated for a shock side load, nor would it have anchor points.
Correct, you absolutely could not perform fall arrest off one, as they’re typically rated at 150kg, not the 6kN shock load of a person falling 2 meters- although anecdotally we’ve seen them take this perfectly well, as that is what happens to a user who gets flicked out of the basket.
Fall restraint though, would work perfectly well. It would not meet codes of practise, it would not be within manufacturer’s guidelines, but from a purely practical and functional standpoint- fall restraint from a boom (stabilised) would work perfectly well.
This is my whole job. Working out safe methods of high access. Sometimes, the best you can do is work within the realms of what is reasonably practicable.
The fuck are you talking about? You know there’s a shock load when a worker falls out of a boom lift right? They’re 100% rated for it. Jesus…
Did you not read properly?
That doesn’t mean you should aim for it. By removing the risk of a fall, and a shock, by staying in restraint, you have a significantly better system with less risk to the worker.
Fall arrest should only be used when workers need to be mobile. If they’re staying in place, such as working on a chimney, there is no reason for them to be unrestrained.
I get what you're saying, but we all know an aerial lift is rated for a human swinging around and shock loading their lanyard off the tie in point. If it wasn't, what would he the point in tying off?
I have tons of pics like this because I'm a chimney guy. This customer just got a new stainless steel chase cover.
Hell, I’ve got a pic somewhere of my installer standing on top of my chimney with a gas powered concrete saw cutting the concrete cap to insert my liner.
What's the alternative here?
Helicopter
Chimney's fucked. Rebuild the house.
I worked for a chimney company. This is how we did it most of the time. The worst jobs were a boom lift. The owner had the luxury of pricing out shitty jobs, so we avoided it a lot.
The ones that will give you an answer are the same ones who have never worked this trade themselves.
Fall protection.
How?
Protect the fall!
Bubble Wrap might work if it's the big bubbles!
Connected to what?
The ground
They could do it the traditional way before chimney sweeps. I just learned this listening to the latest episode on the Horrible History of Chimney Sweeps from r/lastpodcastontheleft & I’m super excited to share it (also a great & hilarious podcast you should listen to). Before chimney sweeps they would tie a rope around the neck of a big chicken or turkey & then throw them in. As they pulled it out the bird would panic & flail its wings & body around bringing all the soot with it. “The blacker the bird the cleaner the chimney.”
Mf we’re not throwing live animals down chimneys
What if, and hear me out, we give them proper PPE?
You know, like little bird masks and safety goggles.
(We could probably make a robot to do it too at this point though, or, well, get a chimney sweep)
I did this all in HS and after for years. What do you want her to do? Hire a crane and hook a harness to it? Where can you anchor when you are at the top? If there was one at the top it would damage that custom Chase cover. Only on condos would we have anchors on the ridge line and wear harnesses. Even then they do nothing if you fall 10 feet off the chase
The same people freaking out about safety are the same people who FREAK if they see a bill above $150. Homeowners don’t understand they can’t have cheap estimates AND 100% safety for shit like this. Guarantee the quote to either build scaffold or get a proper lift would have made the homeowner scoff
Exactly. I could stop and erect scaffolding but that would take time and that time is $$$. I guess that is the proper way but you’d never get a job just to replace a cap or do a cleaning.
Yeah I can back that up. See a house like this and you knew to grab the telescope ladder.
No way I’m putting a whole scaffold together just for a cleaning or to replace a cap etc
Yeah and if it's a nice day on a lake or something it's chef's kiss
But Lt. Dan, you ain't got no legs....
YOU CALL THIS A STORM‽
This is an accident waiting to happen.
Please nest time be safe and use a Milwaukee
Ehh, I see three points of contact. 👍
Girl. You in danger.
Yeah she took that glove off while she's working. With proper selection of hand protection you will not even know that you're wearing gloves.
I’ve met Santa, she is white
They probably rented the cherry picker for the photographer
Or a drone
I know you say that in jest, but it’s definitely a drone and I’d wager it’s just an employee who isn’t certified to fly drones for commercial purposes.
At least in the US if they’re taking it for personal reasons (aka the heck it) absolutely fine. But if it’s used for advertising, for any promotional purpose by the company (whether internal or external), or because the company wanted photos of a job for documentation the FAA requires the drone pilot be commercially certified and licensed and there’s a steep fine for the drone pilot and business.
Specifically commercial use of a small drone like what they probably used falls under part 107 regulations.
Drones above a certain weight cannot be operated by anyone without a license, for any reason.
What makes you so sure this isn't a DJI Neo, might even be operated by the person in the photo.
Actually that’s interesting. I’m a Japanese resident and we’re seeing a number of incidents with foreign tourists operating drones in and around historical tourist sites without any restrictions, picture crowded Kyoto streets with 1/2 a dozen personal drones following influencers around, the noise alone is an issue not to mention the fact that they’re operated by amateurs at best. It’s never really been a government safety issue in Japan since it’s not something citizens would ever consider doing. Hopefully sanctions are on the way.
[deleted]
not just the airport...flying drones over the fires as fire is trying to do water and/or retardant drops...
https://abcnews.go.com/US/drone-operator-charged-hitting-super-scooper-plane-palisades/story?id=118313936
The FAA's nightmare scenario of a manned aircraft colliding with a drone has happened. A small plane up in Canada hit a drone during their landing approach. Fortunately, they still landed safely, but there is no guarantee that will happen every time.
The drone was higher than they are ever supposed to fly, and in a location where they're not allowed to fly at all, but that didn't stop them.
Who was flying the drone? The ROYAL CANADIAN MOUNTED POLICE.
The general public is being regulated over government actors not following government rules.
the pitch on that roof looks pretty steep. I'll pass
God, nothing would get ever get built if everyone out there was how they on here.
No safety glasses. No cone protecting the van. Customer's car facing the wrong way. Is anyone footing that ladder? Does the driver count as rotating equipment? She shouldn't have gloves, and her hair isn't restrained.
With seriousness, these sorts of posts highlight the disconnect of safety and practicality, and how a large portion of the trades is willing to sacrifice the first for the latter. I get it, i am guilty of it. But "safe enough" is such until something does happen.
There would be an objection to a boom for cost. Scaffolding is not practical. Retrofitting the chimney and roof with anchor points or any other measure is not within the customer's scope... And would likely need on of the above, anyway.
This narrative and paradigm needs to be examined and discussed. But so long as you have companies willing to work out of their garage and cut corners (at their/their employee's own risk), its a difficult standard to protest.
These comments alone show that standard practice is worth the cost savings and guarantee of business -- until you happen to be guilty of that strong gust of wind and not enough sleep the night before, fall onto the roof and roll down to be impaled by a chain-link fence post. Probable? Likely not. But it is not an impossibility. How much are you willing to play on those odds?
Instead of asking why everyone is getting hotheaded about people working unsafe, i think we should all ask ourselves why we are willing to accept the current economy and practice that encourages ourselves to work unsafely.
I promise you that the customer, your insurance company, and your contracts are not going to be phased a week after you die.
We are only playing the best we can with the cards we are dealt, I know. I am probably guilty of being that person kneeling atop of a column with a loosely supported ladder be eath me at some point. That doesnt mean i was correct in being up there, or that my boss was correct it asking me to do it. And i also know that should the job have been quoted for scaffolding, a lift, whatever else i may not have had the opportunity to make money that day.
But none of that makes it okay in the end, does it?
OSHA doesn't have jurisdiction over self-employed people or sole proprietors without workers... Maybe she's a one woman show.
lol
Hopefully the ladder extended 3' above the top of that chimney structure before they moved it so he could work. There ain't no way to tie off there. It's quicker to do the work he needs to do and get down than it would be to do the work, or he's inspecting the inside of the stove pipe. He had to take it apart. He took the extra part in case it was needed. There's no use getting back up there again to fix it. Too risky.
Awesome safety gear! Soooo cool!
That's gonna take a hefty drone to airlift that chimney tech.
Ladder seems to be just as tall as mine and just as sketchy.
Would
My first thought here is, "Where is her hard hat?"
Doing roof work 100% safely requires extensive equipment and setup that simply don't make sense for smaller scale jobs, so going without is very common.
That doesn't mean that the basics should be ignored along with the rest.
There's nothing above her... What do you think a hard hat would protect her from?
Is she single?
and have life insurance policy? Asking for a friend.
i was thinking this exact thing. baby we need to up that premium.
OP is a Narc Karen
Ads such as this have been used to substantiate Willful violations before, it’s not smart to purposely post violations.
The Last Podcast on the Left just released an episode yesterday about the horrible history of chimney sweeps. It’s dark humor but it’s very funny. Before chimney sweeps were a thing, they would tie a rope around the neck of a live chicken or turkey & then pull it up from the top. As the bird flung it’s body around & flailed it’s wings it would sweep up the soot.
I blame Marcus Parks. Hail Satan.
How did big Bubba get from the top of the ladder onto the chimney?