By todays standards the guy is working dangerously, were he caught by a Health & Safety officer he could well be in the do-do.
In the past I've decorated houses like this myself, all off a ladder, walking up to the apex with a 15" roller, laden with Santex on the end of a 6' pole, and yes, using my vehicle or anything else to prop the bottom of the ladder.
But you can't do that now, just like you can't send a 7 year old up a chimney to clean it, those times are past, get caught doing it now and you are in the brown stuff.
Unfortunately, those working safely and correctly don't stand out from the crowd, and it those that stand out that cause the authorities to issue more and more regs.
But as long as we are allowed to work off ladders you will always get idiots that don't follow safe practice, and it is those that draw the eye (just like that one guy in the one photo who is stood there looking at the decorator)
You can't over extend new ladders either, there is an extented lug that prevents you extending it past it's safe limit, also, the ladder's load rating will allow a great deal of weight when fully extended, you could have it horizontal and it wouldn't break, at least with proper trade ladders.
That ladder is wedged and is going nowhere, as dangerous as it looks it won't break either.
Of course it is wrong and in todays climate he shouldn't be doing it, cherry picker or scafolding I'm afraid, expensive? yup, but tough, thats the way it is now.
AS usual Squeaks has to have a pop at WFP (which hasn't been mentioned in this post until he brought the subject up).
You can snag a power line with an aluminium ladder as easily as you can with a pole, quite apart from which they are well insulated anyway, the chances of you electrocuting yourself with either ladder or pole is pretty remote.
Rock salt on the pavement?
In wintery weather, particularly when there is snow on the pavement the council will put the stuff down anyway, and you'd have to be a complete numpty to slip on the gravel...may not be that safe if you have put up a ladder on the stuff though
My high visibility yellow hose lying across the pavement?
Pulease....open your eyes and look where you are walking, take some responsibilty for yourself for gods sake, and don't blame others when you fall over. Even old grannies who can barely lift up their feet manage to negociate the highly dangerous hazzard of a half inch obstacle in their path.
The warning sign you have to put out is also a hazzard for mums with pushchairs on narrow pavements.
Slippery doorways?
Give over, they are no more wet and slippery than they are on any day that it rains. now if you are getting a floor wet that is made out of marble...not many houses have them do they?
Shops maybe, but for myself at least I am in town up to 3 hours before the shops open, even in the darkest depths of winter the doorways are dry...unless its raining of course
you're fishing for Mackeral and catching sprats Rog, dangerous ladder practice doesn't compare at all to the minor hazzards involved with WFP.
Ian