The skill set they use came directly from the sea.
Falling from the rigging was the number one source of:"Man-over-board."
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The ultimate in crazy: in the 19th Century, out of Malta, it was the custom for midshipmen (teenage boys) to stand vertically atop the highest mast as a sign of bravery and balance. A dinky circular platform was set there just for that purpose.
When in procession, the Royal Navy (HQ'd at Malta, BTW) would have battleships all in a line... each one with a boy standing tall atop its highest mast -- with no support or tie-off!
Yes, they did lose a few each season. No biggie, though.
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This kind of ethos can still be seen on construction sites all over America: with immigrants. Whether Russian, Polish, Mexican or unknown, they all persist in taking astounding fall-hazard risks on every job I've seen. They just won't tie off. When the inevitable falls occur, their employer is sued into bankruptcy.
This explains the astounding turn-over in roofing contractors -- and their special workmans compensation rates.
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As electricians, we see the same folly with A frame ladders. You're just as dead from even ten-feet. One fellow took a header off of a ten-footer -- a total straight flip -- and became a quadraplegic in one blow. He now spends 100% of his time laying in a bed -- totally parallyzed from the neck down.
Joint and back injuries terminate many j-man careers.
Consequently, I prohibit one-man portage of even 12-foot ladders. I will terminate anyone who 'walks a ladder' more than twice. Such practices are easy to spot -- because they destroy the feet of the ladder. And one fine day, the j-man takes a brutal tumble -- always, it seems, onto a nest of rebar / elevator pit / a kill zone.
Falling causes more grief than electrical arcs. Stay paranoid.
