Seventy eight year old man dies after falling from scaffolding at work!

[Pickman's model]

My old man is 78 next Monday, self employed, climbing up trees with chainsaws and such. Painted the whole outside of his house on ladders last year.

must be the best decorated ladders in europe

 

[Celyn]

I’d like to clear a few things up here, I knew the victim very well, friends for more than 20 years in fact. The Mans name was Archie and he was working with his 2 sons...

Sorry about your friend,Bhamboy. It must be horrible for you and his sons.

 

[marty21]

My old man is 78 next Monday, self employed, climbing up trees with chainsaws and such. Painted the whole outside of his house on ladders last year.

My dad would have been 78 now, he pretty much gave up on paid work in his late 50s he really couldn't be arsed anymore - that said, plenty of his generation continued working into their 70s in the building trade as they didn't make any provision for retirement, and also it was a very cash in hand industry up until the 90s really so they had fuck all state pensions either.

 

[1927]

What was a 78 year old doing up scaffolding in the 1st place.

Cribbs Causeway.

I hope he was self employed and not forced to go up there. Might only be 15 feet but at 78.

RIP

Most scaffolders are self employed, whether they work for a company or not!

The other question is HOW did he fall from a scaffolding?

Was he erecting the scaffold or working on an erected scaffold? If the latter I think somebody will be getting into a bit of trouble.... unless he was flouting h&s.

The only way to fall from a scaffolding is either whilst scaling ladders(depending on the type of scaff) or by doing something a bit "daring".

Sad news however.

The only way to fall from a scaffold, if you are using all safe procedures....etc. Unfortunately falls from height are the biggest killer of workers one instruction, and scaffolders are the most at risk, but also the group of workers who flout the rules more than any other group of workers.

It's sad, and of that there is no doubt. We know nothing about why this elderly chap was working. Some seniors work because they actually want to.
Unfortunately this sounds like somebody who has acquired a bit of tube and thinks they know how to do a scaff.

I don't know why you'd think that, and I would say on a high refill job like this the likelihood of them using unqualified scaffolders is extremely low.

Unless it was his company or was self employed, I hope the fucker that sent a 78 year old up any scaffolding gets his/her shite from the HSE & gets done for it. I have no problem with a 78 year old working in a bookshop but scaffolding!!! I still can't believe it.

Rock dn a hard place innit! If the guy wanted to work and was fit, an employer would actually be breaking the law by not employing him. Of course if he wasn't fit to do the job then the employer needs shagging and hopefully will be once the HSE have finished their investigation. Although any court case is likely to be 3 years away, I can virtually guarantee that in that time the scaffold company will have gone into administration so there won't be any monies available for fines anyway.

 

[1927]

I the truth is no matter how many h&s measures are put in place that accidents can still occur. Such a tradgedy.

Sorry to hear about your mate, but I totally disagree with this statement.
The truth is that 95% of accidents are caused by human behaviour., someone somewhere doing something they shouldn't or not doing something they should have.

 

[1927]

the scaf shown in the newspaper report lacks guard rails, even on the steps. It's frightening, I don't know if it's more dangerous to work where there is no kickboard or where there is one but without a rail so it just presents a giant trip hazard. tbf though, it looks a bit like it's halfway through being removed, so maybe it's not the actual lift he was working on.

Is ageism justified? We don't know the circumstances of this poor bloke, but I think the assumption he was somehow forced to go up there is a bit off. Until it's shown that he was a victim of modern slavery and gangmasters the position must be that he was a grown adult with as much agency as any other, not somehow vulnerable because of his age. tbh for all we know he was in charge of the operation! In any event his position is the same as any other adult worker, for an employer to refuse to engage him or force him off the scaffolding because of his age would be a matter for the courts.

Fact is a window fitter of whatever age should not fall off scaffolding because the risk assessment, design and construction should ensure it doesn't happen. It does though, working at height is dangerous and a few people die each year from falls, including scaffolders- one of the more dangerous jobs. Window fitting from scaffolding shouldn't be dangerous. His age makes the story newsworthy but shouldn't be automatically considered as a factor in his death. If he could fall off so could anyone else.

Looking at that photo of scaffolding I agree with you its a nightmare. Toe boards missing, hand rails missing, no internal fall protection. The steps are completely wrong, and Im not even sure they are meant to be steps the proportions are all wrong and theres a massive drop from bottom step, and as you pointed to no hand rails! Scaffolding company, and PC are in big trouble here I think.

 

[newbie]

Looking at that photo of scaffolding I agree with you its a nightmare. Toe boards missing, hand rails missing, no internal fall protection. The steps are completely wrong, and Im not even sure they are meant to be steps the proportions are all wrong and theres a massive drop from bottom step, and as you pointed to no hand rails! Scaffolding company, and PC are in big trouble here I think.

Indeed. Maybe the steps are actually for lifting glass panels, but then I can't see any other way up for the workforce, and even if they are for lifting they should be properly guarded. Very odd, and the boards littered on the floor look so unprofessional I wondered if that section was in the middle of being dismantled when work abruptly stopped.

I guess the HSE or inquest will get to the bottom of it. I hope someone will notice any reporting and come back here to tell us.

 

[1927]

Indeed. Maybe the steps are actually for lifting glass panels, but then I can't see any other way up for the workforce, and even if they are for lifting they should be properly guarded. Very odd, and the boards littered on the floor look so unprofessional I wondered if that section was in the middle of being dismantled when work abruptly stopped.

I guess the HSE or inquest will get to the bottom of it. I hope someone will notice any reporting and come back here to tell us.

As an aside, if you are ever tempted to go on a scaffold inspection course, don't! without doubt the most mindnumpingly boring 3 days of my life. One thing you learn is that if you inspected every scaffold to the letter of law and British standards, no scaffold would ever pass.

 

[1927]

..

 

[Bhamboy]

Sorry about your friend,Bhamboy. It must be horrible for you and his sons.

Hello Celyn, yes it was a massive shock to say the least. And has been felt throughout the glass industry in the midlands as he was a well liked and well known fella. The HSE are now involved so any wrongdoings will Be brought to light if there were any. Thank you for your empathy.

 

[Bhamboy]

Sorry to hear about your mate, but I totally disagree with this statement.
The truth is that 95% of accidents are caused by human behaviour., someone somewhere doing something they shouldn't or not doing something they should have.

Yes as I said it was caused by a slip/trip. this is human error, but unless it was done intentionally it is still an accident.

 

[newbie]

Yes as I said it was caused by a slip/trip. this is human error, but unless it was done intentionally it is still an accident.

I think what's concerning people here is that while the slip/trip might have been an accident the scaf pictured does not look as though it has adequate safety features to help prevent a simple accident turning into a tragedy. But as I said upthread I'm not pointing fingers at the scaffolders, because that picture might not be involved in what happened, we have too little information to know.

 

[Bhamboy]

I think what's concerning people here is that while the slip/trip might have been an accident the scaf pictured does not look as though it has adequate safety features to help prevent a simple accident turning into a tragedy. But as I said upthread I'm not pointing fingers at the scaffolders, because that picture might not be involved in what happened, we have too little information to know.

I haven’t actually seen any pictures so I can’t comment on the scaffolding. I’m also in the same boat somewhat with lack of information. Time will tell.

 

[Teaboy]

Its a tragic incident.

One thing for sure though is a slip or a trip should not lead to someone falling from a scaffold. H&S will be all over this and rightly so.

 

[kalidarkone]

Another chap fell from scaffolding in Bristol city centre yesterday, fell 30 feet and died. He was 22.
Man dies in hospital after Bristol city centre scaffolding fall

 

[1927]

Yes as I said it was caused by a slip/trip. this is human error, but unless it was done intentionally it is still an accident.

You miss the point. If the correct controls are in place a simple slip trip or fall won’t cause a fatality!

 

[1927]

Another chap fell from scaffolding in Bristol city centre yesterday, fell 30 feet and died. He was 22.
Man dies in hospital after Bristol city centre scaffolding fall

That’s an easy one! If he fell though a roof there were obviously no controls in place to prevent it! Employer or contractor are bang to rights and I fully expect a prosecution to follow.