Work that obstructs a pavement

This is a new one for me, I haven't had to do it before but I've got to go and quote for the painting of a shopfront. It's a two storey building in a narrow and fairly busy street with a narrow pavement.

With Collective safety being paramount is scaffold the only option?
If I worked off a ladder then I'd have to make a walkway out in the narrow road for people, if I used a Mewp it would take them even further into the street. So to my mind covered scaffold with pedestrian access beneath is the only workable option. That would be a pain because it's not going to be more than two days work at height. Am I right or is there a better option?

 

I think a tower would have the same issue as ladder or mewp, people would have to go round it, into a narrow and busy street.

 

The issue is also compounded by being right on a T junction.

 

Cheers chaps. I quite like the through the night idea but sadly it's right in the heart of a big town and near a lot of bars
You do need a permit for scaffold in the street and they do charge, though I don't think it's a big charge. £50-£100 I read somewhere. The insurance may be more of an issue if that's true cos I only have £2 million and I bet the extra would hurt me on the premium. I think a speculative call to the council before doing the quote may be in order.

 

Awww, spilling paint on people is half the fun Seriously though I think the days of 'walking under ladders' are over. I may be wrong but I think it's a no no nowadays to have people passing under you when working at height unless it's a covered scaffold.

 

Cheers, i think that call to the council tomorrow is definitely needed! I'll post back with what they say.

 

I'm actually a bit surprised. I've just been called back by the Council. The official line from them is that they only need to be involved if you're erecting scaffolding or using a MEWP. If you work off a ladder all they require is for you to be sensible about people with things like wheel/pushchairs and mobility carriages. Ie, come down off the ladder and let them through. Other than that it's purely a matter for whoever is doing the work to ensure everyone's safety, which is obvious of course. The tone was very much a steer toward using a ladder. They have NO issue with people walking beneath the ladder so I was wrong in post #9!
This makes me happy. I mentioned that it's only a couple of days work to do the high level bit of the frontage and to have to quote for scaffold or a MEWP would have been harsh!

 

You're sort of right. You're still allowed to work off a ladder. They aren't limited to just a means of access. But yes, it's about the duration, they are to be worked off for short periods only. With that in mind, having to come down and move the ladder out of the way of pushchairs is a good thing isn't it
To be fair, I expect the client would rather pay me to come down and take regular breaks in a 2 day period anyway than pay for MEWP/scaffold hire, pay for the permit etc.

 

I agree with both of you Just because the council and regs don't apparently have an issue with people passing under a ladder, it doesn't mean that I don't. I can't see how it could be considered as safe working practice to be up a ladder with tools, paint kettles or whatever and have people passing directly beneath it. Makes no sense to me. This is why I'm so surprised that I was wrong in post #9.
With regard to the ladder itself and my own safety. Yes, I agree, if people can get anywhere near the ladder there's a very real risk of them knocking it. They don't need to actually knock it over do they, a good tap might be enough for you up the ladder to lose your balance. The building doesn't appear to have any suitable anchor points
These things are why I mentioned in the OP that I'd have to make a walkway in the road if I use a ladder. It looks like that's the most likely option now. To make a narrow pedestrian walkway in the road and then come down and move things to let any form of carriage through. It's a faff for sure...
There's also the issue of the traffic itself. It isn't just pedestrians that could knock the ladder is it. Vehicles are a merciless and real risk! It's quite an involved risk assessment when you think about it isn't it. Lots to consider.
Jord mentioned doing it off a tower earlier. That would certainly be safer for me but it would block the pavement and that puts you into the area of permits.
So, I'm happy that the council aren't forcing me down the scaffold/MEWP/permit route but I do still have very real concerns about doing the job off a ladder. Those concerns aren't insurmountable though and I guess I'll just have to address them...if I get and take the job.