Green Building Forum - Health and Safety

Health and Safety

Rex — Sun, 10 Mar 2024 14:10:19 +0000

Just seen this on the BBC:

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/av/uk-england-beds-bucks-herts-68518332

Not too sure about the caption reading 'collapse.' Using a ladder at the top of a tower looks like incompetence to me, Recipe for gravity to show who is the boss.

Health and Safety

revor — Sun, 10 Mar 2024 18:45:46 +0000

Not good practice to use a ladder on a scaffold platform the weight of the workman would be transferred to the outer part of the tower encouraging a tip and even more dangerous as no outriggers appear to be in place, and if had been that lane of the road would need to be closed. The guys don't understand mechanics.

Health and Safety

Jonti — Sun, 10 Mar 2024 19:59:22 +0000

Quite frightening what some people will do. Aluminium tower is not really the thing to use in that situation and even with heavier steel it would need to be anchored to the building. I suspect the tower will have been borrowed from a mate as I can't imagine any scaffolding firm would hire out one knowing they intended to do that.

Health and Safety

WillInAberdeen — Sun, 10 Mar 2024 22:28:12 +0000

ISTR many A level mechanics questions were about forces on ladders, the sideways force pushing the feet out away from the wall is equal/opposite to the force of the top of the ladder pushing against the wall, one-quarter the weight of the numpty standing on the top rung.

Medieval cathedral builders solved this problem by placing a heavy statue of an angel on the top of the tower. When added to the sideways toppling force (from the sloping roof), its weight diverts the overall load path downwards so it stays within the middle third of the tower, and the rest is 700 years of reliable history.

Maybe hire firms should bundle in an angel or two, when you hire out a tower. An IBC of water works the same but doesn't look as good.

https://www.structuremag.org/?p=8043 - figure 3 applies

Health and Safety

djh — Mon, 11 Mar 2024 00:39:46 +0000

Posted By: WillInAberdeenMedieval cathedral builders solved this problem by placing a heavy statue of an angel on the top of the tower. When added to the sideways toppling force (from the sloping roof), its weight diverts the overall load path downwards so it stays within the middle third of the tower, and the rest is 700 years of reliable history.

Sorry, it's late and I've probably misunderstood. I think medieval builders invented flying buttresses. When applied to a tower roof, I think you'd need to apply the weight of the angel at the top of the supporting walls, not to the top of the tower itself? (I'll read the article tomorrow when I'm awake )

Health and Safety

Rex — Mon, 11 Mar 2024 08:25:44 +0000

I feel sorry for the guy in the car. Bet there will be a real problem getting an insurance payout.

Whilst totally off-the-thread, but since medieval builders have been raised, saw a very interesting 2006 iPlayer documentary recently entitled How To Build A Cathedral. Looking at the engineering aspect of the Master Builders who basically designed the structure using very basic principals as they went. Amazing!

Health and Safety

owlman — Mon, 11 Mar 2024 21:42:35 +0000

Posted By: revorNot good practice to use a ladder on a scaffold platform the weight of the workman would be transferred to the outer part of the tower encouraging a tip and even more dangerous as no outriggers appear to be in place, and if had been that lane of the road would need to be closed. The guys don't understand mechanics.

Plus the slight slope of the pavement would have contributed. Even when I use my tower on level ground I always use the four outriggers. I'm guessing they also didn't want to cone of the road and have a suitable pedestrian walkway around. Cowboys!

Health and Safety

Cliff Pope — Wed, 13 Mar 2024 10:50:22 +0000

I thought when I watched the clip that the man up the ladder was going to be catapulted over the car as the bottem of the ladder pivoted over the collapsed scaffolding. In a Buster Keaton movie he'd have done the stunt himself. probably still holding the paint pot, unspilt.