Work at height regulations

[^woody^]

Lights at 6.6m means a working platform at 5m, so within any insurance height limit of 6m

The insurers can't refuse to payout for claims resulting from negligence at any height

 

[DaveHerns]

A Personal Accident policy pays out a small weekly sum for a set period and/or a lump sum for loss of limb/death. It won't compensate you fully if you are crippled for the rest of your life. You could make a claim against the Church if you are able to prove negligence but it won't be easy.
I'm not a "believer" so I see no point in risking my safety when the Church is rolling in money with their extensive property portfolio financed by contributions from the gullible (eg my mother) You may think Jesus saves , but will he save you from falling?

 

[Dave54]

For what it's worth, whatever one's personal beliefs, and whatever insurance might be in place, I'm pretty sure that I wouldn't be doing it as a volunteer. I'd say that changing lightbulbs in a "normal" room is one thing, but that changing them in a roof at nearly 7m is quite another, and as already said should be left to people used to the work day in day out.
There are raising and lowering systems for difficult to reach lighting. As part of the "risk assessment" then what about them fitting these so that the lights can be changed at ground level?
I'm like the OP, in that I used to work at height on occasion and was used to doing so. I've also changed any number of light bulbs in badly placed, dangerous to access positions. I wouldn't be doing it now unless I was being well paid, and had the correct gear and training to do it properly and safely.

 

[^woody^]

I'm the opposite. If someone wants me to help change a lightbulb, and I can help, then I will just get on and do it.

It's quite possible to do a risk assessment in 5 seconds in your head. No need to make a simple task more complex than it need be.

 

[Dave54]

That's entirely up to you. I'd say that most of us here are aware of the risks involved, and can make our own decision based on that. However I know of a real case, where the chap involved was just going to do a little job using a ladder, and more or less lost the use of one arm from the resulting fall. I think the actual fall was only a couple of metres, which bears out the statistics. That's little comfort if you fall further.

 

[^woody^]

I know of someone who choked on a peanut.

 

[Dave54]

People die from all sorts of things. I eat peanuts so I might choke on one, or any other number of things might happen to me. Most of the things that could happen I don't worry about, but some I try to take reasonable precautions against them.

The OP has lots of ideas here which I hope helps him to reach the best solution suitable for the job in hand.

 

[Nozzle]

It's not dying you have to worry about - it's being maimed or crippled..

Nozzle

 

[HERTS P&D]

I would say to walk away from this job before you fall away from it.

Andy

 

[Deleted member 174758]

It's not dying you have to worry about - it's being maimed or crippled..

I agree. At least some of the guys on here have/do work on large contractor sites where you have to undertake a safety induction before they let you loose on site. Some of them will have seen the videos of the guy who was doing a favour and fell from height and who now, as a result, is severly disabled and wheelchair bound. That sort of rams home the point about safety at height being something to consider carefully and not to make flippant remarks about (at least to my mind)