16/04/2026
Just a heads up team 🙈
📰 Worker Investigated For Sitting On Upside-Down Bucket Without Load Certification
WESTPORT — A West Coast worker is under investigation after allegedly sitting on an upside-down bucket without confirmed load certification or seating approval documentation.
The incident occurred mid-morning on a residential job site, where the worker was observed in a seated position on a standard 20-litre bucket during a brief pause in activity.
WorkSafe New Zealand confirmed the matter is being treated as a potential breach of improvised seating protocols.
WorkSafe spokesperson Eric Chin said the situation raises serious concerns around unverified load-bearing assumptions.
“A bucket, when inverted, becomes an uncertified seating structure,” Chin said.
“Without proper testing, you’re dealing with unknown weight tolerances, surface instability, and potential collapse scenarios.”
According to preliminary findings, the worker failed to:
Obtain a Temporary Seating Permit (TSP)
Verify the bucket’s load rating in inverted configuration
Conduct a Pre-Sit Risk Assessment (PSRA)
Establish a Stable Seating Zone
Appoint a Seating Observer
Instead, he allegedly “flipped the bucket and sat down.”
Witnesses say the act appeared casual and unplanned
“He didn’t even test it first,” one worker said.
“Just committed to the sit.”
The man at the centre of the investigation, Richard Ramsbottoms, described the situation as “completely over the top.”
“I’ve been sitting on buckets for 20 years,” Ramsbottoms said.
“Didn’t realise I needed engineering approval to park myself for five minutes.”
WorkSafe rejected this position, stressing that familiarity does not eliminate risk.
“Historical sitting does not equal compliant sitting,” Chin said.
“Every sit must be treated as a new event.”
The bucket has since been isolated, tagged, and removed from service pending a full structural review.
If found in breach, Ramsbottoms could face:
A formal warning
Mandatory retraining in Approved Seating Practices
Temporary restriction from unsupervised sitting activities
As of publication, WorkSafe has reminded all workers that “if it’s not designed to be sat on, it must be assessed before it is sat on.”
