Thomas Wintle CGTN 2/13/2021
As heavy snowfall continues to pummel Sweden, an army of so-called "sweepers" are braving dizzying heights in Stockholm to clear the city's roofs of snow – all in the name of public safety.
Scurrying along the black tin roofs of Stockholm's historic Old Town – up to 10 meters above ground – Andrei Plian and Alex Lupu shift thick white blankets of snow from the urban canopy down to street level.
To some this vertigo-inducing work would be too much, but for roofers Plian and Lupu, they are performing a public service by maintaining "the safety of the people" – and they say the stunning views are one of the job's benefits.
Roofer Andrei Plian says he is performing a public service by maintaining "the safety of the people." Helene Dauschy / AFPTV / AFP
"Being here on the roof and looking up at the sky, you feel that freedom," says Plian.
He adds that when he first started the job, "Working on the roof was scary. But after a while you get used to it – it's like usual work, you don't think so much about it."
Still, after 10 years of roofing he is aware of the dangers of working so high up, especially in snowy conditions: "Every time, you have to think about safety – it's the number one rule."
Earlier in February, another snow clearer was seriously injured in the northern Swedish town of Umea while clearing roofs. Initial findings showed he wasn't wearing his safety harness.
Plian attaches himself to the buildings with ropes, carabiners and a safety harness. /Helene Dauschy/AFPTV/AFP
Plian always takes the precaution of attaching himself to the buildings with ropes and carabiners.
"You don't have room for mistakes here," he says. "If you make one mistake, it can be your last."
Their coworkers down below also take the job seriously. Fredrik Ericsson is charged with making sure pedestrians don't get hit by any of the ice and snow his colleagues have dislodged from the roofs.
Using a high-pitched whistle to signal when people are passing, he blows once to stop the work above and twice to signal the all-clear.
The sweepers say that sometimes pedestrians are oblivious to the work going on overhead. /Helene Dauschy/AFPTV/AFP
Ericsson says it can be a tricky task as people are often oblivious, sometimes wilfully, to the work going on.
"They don't show that much respect, they just walk past, so I have to stop and yell at them," he says. "They don't see the danger."
In 2002, a 14-year-old died after being hit by a large block of ice that broke off a building on Stockholm's main shopping street. But accidents are rare in Sweden, according to Staffan Moberg, a spokesperson for the insurer industry group Svensk Forsakring.
For many Stockholmers, the rooftop sweepers act as the city's watchful protectors. /Helene Dauschy/AFPTV/AFP
"As far as I can remember, there have only been two deaths in the last 20-30 years or so," he says.
Moberg adds that they don't keep data on incidents, and while accidents do happen now and again, "the consequences are mostly not lethal and very seldom even severe."
Still, many Stockholmers will be reassured that the rooftop sweepers, perched high above the snow-capped capital, continue to keep them safe, acting as Stockholm's quiet guardians, the city's watchful protectors.
Video editing: Riaz Jugon
Source(s): AFP
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