Absolute nutters, no risk assessment I've ever seen would let them do what they were doing.
There is a risk assessment, it is a job, and the risk is mitigated for that particular job. I have not done live drops of people, but do sling them tools after they have climbed up, and have also set poles... There is always a tail gate brief and all aspects of the job are discussed. This is all in a days work for some, and I guess it comes down to what you feel comfortable with.