"The question I have is, was this "safety conscious" veteran operator*/ 
really /*moving the rig when he shouldn't have?   Or is the company just 
pinning that on him, a la "pilot error?""

When we did lift jobs we ALWAYS stayed on the street. Too many sidewalks 
have vaults or basements under them. The old lifts were smaller and 
lighter too - the newer ones are behemoths. But the good part is that, 
with that reach, you shouldn't NEED to go on the sidewalk if you set up 
properly.

If he was driving the lift with no ground control, it's possible he got 
onto the sidewalk by accident. Driving from a hundred or more feet up, 
you need to have radio contact with someone on the ground making sure 
folks are clear of you and you are where you think you are, wheels-wise.

No matter how veteran or safety-concious you are, at some point most 
mechanics cut a corner on a job, due to pressure or weather or a hundred 
other things. Most of the time no one notices, especially if you bring a 
difficult job in on time and/or under budget.

~deb

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