Let us not forget ...

... the "etcetera".

"The Health and Safety at Work etc Act 1974."

It has a lot to answer for. A man came today to erect our satellite dish.
Before he was allowed to climb the ladder he had to don a full-body harness, hard hat, fit an odd attachment to the foot of his ladder, drill the house wall, insert a HUGE screw-eye, anchor the ladder to the screw eye, attach his harness to a line dangling from the top of the ladder.

THEN he was allowed to climb the ladder.
The theory was that, if he fell while climbing, (His feet must have been all of 6' above ground) the device would lock and leave him dangling.
Who rescues him?
On reaching the top, he must do the modern equivalent of belaying to the ladder before he can start work.

This is the same piece of legislation which is, inexorably, leading us to a state where all a Fireman can do is squirt water from outside and devil take anybody INside.
Already, if he needs to be on a roof it required 3 men. Him on the roof and one man on the ground at back and one at front of the building holding lines attached to his belt. "Many a time and oft" we used to ride out with 5, maximum six men.

O.K. follow this
1 man working the pump,
1 man on the roof
1 man back of the house holding his line
1 man front doing likewise.

What have we left?

In MANY instances ONE man (Officer in charge) doing any and ALL other necessary work.