26/3/25 - A mobile access tower had its moment in the spotlight on last night’s Coronation Street, but unfortunately, so did a falling brace - thanks to careless Lyle (branded an ‘absolute spoon’ by his own gaffer). From his 4m platform, Lyle managed to send the brace crashing to the ground, giving poor Julie the fright of her life.
As her sister Eileen rushed to her side, funeral director George summed up the situation perfectly, warning site manager Theo: “You need a bit of health & safety training - before your business becomes a feeder for mine.”
Falling objects
He’s not wrong. Falling objects are a real risk when assembling or dismantling a tower, which is why setting up a proper exclusion zone is a must. Points for effort to the lads, who had some barriers in place - but as the scene shows, a few scattered cones won’t stop pedestrians from wandering into danger. A sturdier solution, like temporary site fencing or other effective barriers, would have been a much safer bet for the good people of Weatherfield.
And Theo’s excuse - “She shouldn’t have been stood where she was” - wouldn’t hold much weight if Julie had ended up in A&E.
A questionable build
Now, let’s talk about that tower. At first glance, things look promising—double guardrails on every platform, all the right stabilisers. So far, so good! But take a closer look… in our experience, there are a few issues:
• That bracing pattern is all wrong, which leaves the tower unstable
• The trapdoor opens towards the inside of the tower, which is not good practice
• The first platform is positioned too high, raising serious questions about how they completed the build safely. Did someone step onto an unprotected platform to install the next module? (A big no-no.)
And, the crucial question, what on earth is Theo doing with a spanner on a prefabricated tower?!
Watch the clip >>
Do any of our members have space for Theo and Lyle on their next PASMA course? We reckon they could do with a refresher…
CREDIT: ITV
