The increased incidents of youths climbing cranes will surely end in tragedy

Using cranes to attach protest messages and banners is not new but a more recent development will surely end in tragedy: Construction companies are reporting rising incidents of youths climbing cranes and then taking pictures of their foolhardy exploits to post on popular file sharing and social networking websites. Youths may think it's a laugh to climb cranes on building sites and upload the pictures of their mischief on popular file sharing websites but it's surely only a matter of time before there is terrible tragedy. Richard Lang, Managing Director of Tag Guard Ltd, comments, “We have had a number of recent enquiries from construction companies including existing clients concerned about the increasing number of incidents where youths have climbed cranes with scant regard for the risks they are taking. The motive appears to be to post pictures of these so called ‘acts of bravado’ on file sharing websites like YouTube.”“Just in the last month Tag Guard wireless security systems installed on cranes at a large development in Manchester city centre were activated in the early hours of the morning; this alerted the on-site security personnel who informed the police and they were able to arrest four youths in the process of attempting to climb one of the cranes.”“Site developers Bovis Lend Lease were pleased that the youths were arrested and obviously relieved too that a potential tragedy was averted; discussions are now under way with Bovis about extending the use of the Tag Guard systems on cranes at their other sites around the country.”“We feel there is a terrible inevitability that if steps are not taken to increase security at building sites where cranes are in use then a mixture of alcohol and bravado combined with the opportunity to publicise such potentially lethal stunts on file sharing websites will result in the death of one or more young people falling from a building site crane.”