On Friday, 22 March 2019 09:28:54 UTC, Tricky Dicky wrote:
Having a lookout is not unique to the public sector, you see
plenty on jobs undertaken by private contractors with lookouts.
For all we know it might be a health and safety requirement in
any circumstances where mechanical digging is taking place,
perhaps someone in the know might enlighten us.

The watching man is now sitting in the van with the lights on (and presumably the heater and engine running).

Owain