Crane operator Ed works 95 meters above the city center: ‘In the event of a high need I have to go to the toilet below’

Every working day at 6.30 am, crane operator Ed Odijk sides in a liftje to his ‘office’ high above the city center. At 95 meters he steps into the cabin and starts his working day. Through the big windows he sees everything: from ships in the North Sea to exciting things in living rooms. Indebuur editor Samira sometimes wants to see what that looks like, so she steps into the small lift with trembling knees.

A so -called lifting supervisor controls the single lift to take me to a dizzying height of 75 meters. I step into the rattling liftje and slowly I see the city center disappearing below me. Once at the top I start in the fog on an exciting climb through the cage ladder. With my construction boots I carefully step up the steps for the last 25 meters. Doodeng this! Relieved I arrive at the cabin where Ed waits me with coffee. The fog pulls up and I see a panoramic view over Zoetermeer.

Homely

Ed has made a mini-living room from his cabin with a comfortable chair and a coffee maker. The heating is on and there are atmospheric Christmas lights. Because of the panoramic windows, he has a beautiful view of Zoetermeer, the coast and even in clear weather in Amsterdam. From the cabin he experiences everything and sometimes sees funny things: “Like naked people who walk through their house unsuspectingly,” says Ed.

Is safety

There so high in the air, Ed has a pretty responsible job on his own. With his crane, he easily moves 16,000 kilos of material. On a screen he sees exactly what is happening at the construction site of the Cadenza 2 apartment complex. Ed is therefore in contact with the lifting supervisor on the ground for the entire working day. “Above wind force 7 the lift is locked because then it is too dangerous to work. Sometimes crane operators look like a kind of meteorologists. We always keep an eye on the weather! ”

Time for a bammetje

During working hours, Ed is mainly in his cabin at a great height. Once it is a lunch break, Ed dives into the lift and swings down to his colleagues. Even in the event of a high need, Ed must leave his cabin for a visit to the toilet at street level. For a little exercise, Ed climbs a little meters up through the climbing ladder for a short walk along the tap through the climbing ladder.

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I am proud when I see a building that I participated in

Make beautiful things

Ed is proud of his work and the buildings on which he participated. The Zalmhaven tower in Rotterdam, for example. “It’s great to help make such beautiful things,” he says with a smile.

And me? Once I got into Ed’s cabin and saw the beautiful view, my fear immediately disappeared. It was a fantastic experience: I would do it again!