Outrage as lifeguards watch harnessed tradies work on scaffolding at a major river: ‘A safety net would be cheaper’
A bizarre photo of lifeguards watching tradies at work above the Yarra River in the heart of Melbourne has sparked controversy.
The image showed two lifeguards on patrol as tradies on scaffolding completed repairs on the city’s Princes Bridge, by Flinders Street Station.
A 3AW listener shared the photo to the station’s Breakfast with Ross and Russel, bemused by the appearance of professional lifeguards at a building site.
‘See, when I saw that, I thought it was the set for an ad. Like a Canadian Club ad,’ said Russell Howcroft.
The station later confirmed the lifeguards were legitimately hired.
The men in red and yellow were deployed in WorkSafe-approved safety measures, in case one of the workers fell into the river.
Life Saving Victoria rents out their lifeguards in a range of settings and applications.
Many listeners made fun of the measure, while others thought it was justified by the dangers of working over water on scaffolds.
A Melburnian snapped an amusing photo of two lifeguards watching tradies work on the Princes Bridge
Lifeguards have been spotted around the bridge over the Yarra as restoration works are underway
‘It’s actually a good idea and part of the rescue plan,’ one wrote online.
‘Working over water scaffolding is dangerous and can cause loss of life. These people criticising high-risk work and rescue plans should try doing it themselves to find out how dangerous it is.’
Many tradies said scaffolding over water is often not as secure as workers nor liability companies would like, and the harnesses can, in some cases, be of no use or worsen an accident.
‘Not sure any of you w*****s understand having safety plans for working at heights with a harness; if it was on land, there would be an (elevated work platform) just in case,’ another wrote on X.
‘It’s called health and safety and makes perfect sense. Should be a mandatory requirement for any workplace where workers in dangerous industries are required to work above large bodies of water such as this,’ another agreed.
‘Lucky job, but they better actually be damn capable if the duty calls.’
Others thought the move seemed excessive and unnecessarily costly.
‘A safety net would be cheaper,’ one said.
Many said the lifeguards were doing an important role, while others were concerned their money was going to waste
‘Looks like bad performance art,’ another agreed.
‘Nice job that. I’d bring six-packs of beers … and music. Set for the day,’ a third joked.
The Princes Bridge restoration project has been underway since late 2023, with works expected to be completed by the end of 2026.
Weathered bluestone blocks will need to be replaced, while others are realigned.
Works to the iron façade will include repairs and a new lick of paint.
