How many madmen does it take to change a light bulb;?..

[tony sayer]

Just Two.. However put this on full screen and enjoy;)..

And don't try it at home will ya?...

[dom]

That makes all the scaffolding I've climbed look like a thick doormat.

[The Natural Philosopher]

There are some jobs I wouldn't do for a million quid.

[Tim Watts]

I need new trousers just watching that!

[fred]

In article , tony sayer writes

With youtube, on completion, there are usually a few suggested followup links for the could you do better brigade but on this one they appear to be well and truly stumped.

[Ron Lowe]

I can see no reason at all for climbing unprotected like they appeared to. Particularly in a work environment. What you do in your own time is your own outlook.

Perhaps all was not as it seemed, and perhaps there is a safety system in place that I can't see.

If they were truly as unprotected as it seemed, that is utter nonsense. Total yee-ha disregard for safety.

Such nonsense would not be tollerated in any place with proper HSE enforcement.

Did I really hear some lame comment that unprotected is OK and allowed by the regs because it 'impedes progress' and 'is tiring'? Not half as tiring as a fall..

For industrial working-at-height situations like this, there are various auto-belay systems which can run up a fixed wire, and require no un-clipping / re-clipping from the climber. There's no reason for not implimenting some such system.

Is US work HSE really as lame as this, or am I missing something?

[dom]

I was surprised by that, particularly when on the pegs for the final portion - where a single faulty peg might prove fatal.

[dom]

Others would say the same of very modest climbs equivalent to only a few floors - yet one quickly acclimatises, and are no more likely to fall than you would walking down the street. (though I believe in proper safety equipment because of the much greater consequences).

[The Natural Philosopher]

I have to say something of that nature was going through my mind..like even a bosuns chair would be easier, with a winch..

[Robin]

Ping Tony Sayer who IIRC has at times to climb masts for a living amd might offer an insider's (upsider's?) view on what Europeans wd think of such practices?

IMHO rock climbers are by definition bold & courageous. For H&S you want wimps like me wot only ever went potholing ('cos that way you got to put a ladder or rope *down* so you had summat to hang onto from the start).

All reinforces my feeling of wimpishness having spent today working on a chimney (all of 6 meters up on a lowish-pitch roof) with fall arrest harness and self-liner on climbing rope attached to 2 belays. It's a bugger getting old(er) and ever more fearful of the ground* :(

*as Terry Pratchett put it "you shouldn't be frightened of heights. It's the ground that kills you".

[Ron Lowe]

There are old climbers, and there are bold climbers. But there are no old, bold climbers.

[ARWadsworth]

Wouldn't or couldn't do.

I'm in the couldn't group.

[Dave]

top of a mill chimney. Not quite as high, but I'll bet he would have tackled it.

Dave

[The Natural Philosopher]

I guess I could climb 1000ft. Just

But I would not do it up a tower.

[brass monkey]

I'm ashamed to say that I couldn't watch it. I get rubber legs and a horrible urge to be on the ground so I'd prolly jump off :)

[geoff]

In message , tony sayer writes

but that gave me the willies

You don't want to drop your spanner at that height

[geoff]

Once the butterflies are over, I expect it's just one hand in front of the other

[geoff]

I might have mentioned before my uncle used to help him with demolitions years ago and lived to tell the tale

...then fell off a carport roof and broke his neck

[Bob Eager]

I couldn't watch it either!

[Dave Liquorice]

I found it rather daft that when stopping for a rest the huge hook was just hung on one of the pegs with only a tiny little stop or upturn on the end to stop it sliding off.

Of course if some one did fall off and was attached to the structure they only have a limited amount of dangle time before they are in as much trouble as the sudden stop at the bottom if they weren't attached. Fall arrest systems are all well and good but there also needs to be a preceedure for the rapid and correct response to recovering the, possibly unconcious, dangling person.