There is a machoness on building sites which I hate. I had scaffolding at first lift (that’s where the horizontal bars pass over the doorways (at about head height) and over the first floor windows. The foreman of my chippies told me he has never had a problem in 20 years on site (after I pointed out to him if he or his guys wear boots and hats then my insurance covers them – if not its their insurance) – anyway, to cut a long story short - the day later (I kid you not) he hit his head on the scaffolding and carved a nice chunk out. He was really good about it and it was at least an hour before we all said ‘I told you so!’
My mate fell off the roof of our local petrol station doing a job 4 years ago, no straps, not hat. He smashed his head and broke his neck, paralysed from the neck down. Peer pressure at work. We visited him in hospital over in Salisbury for 6 months before he came back home for a year then died a couple of years back.
The trades are really macho – what’s that all about?