'elf and Safety !!!

[Apache]

Apparently some insulting tape can cause infection when used on cuts.

Only if there's bacteria on it! So long as it's clean it should be ok. Using it to reinforce a plaster would be better than using it alone. From a medical standpoint

 

[revjames]

Sure all accidents are avoidable, but like communism, the pyramid philosophy doesn't take into consideration the human element. Everyone's an expert when looking back in retrospect!!!Accidents will always happen, no matter how many safety procedures are in place. Human nature will always have the upper hand, many times we do things without thinking, only realising our folly after the event. Sometimes by the consequences, sometimes by being told, and sometimes by self realisation.

You can't cater for every aspect of safety, be it at work or in your private life. The world would literary come to a standstill, nothing would ever get started let alone finished.

We all want a good standard of safety at our place of work and over the years i'm positive that the good safety procedures has saved a good many lives and eliminated many common and not so common accidents. Unfortunately when those safety procedures get way out of hand and start to become or seen as silly, it has the opposite effect. People will start to see ALL safety procedures as those nit-picky nonsense ones... That's where human nature kicks in..... We can take and understand those good safety procedures and rules, but we can't or won't understand the bad ones, the ones that take away our own responsibility, experience, and commonsense.... In essence, as adults we don't like being treated as children, be it for our own good or not!!! ...Human Nature!!!!

I'll be honest, If I'm at home and need to change a bulb, I may stand on a chair....

But if we get into the habit of thinking about what we are about to do and look at what can go wrong (never mind what the generic RAMS say - think about it for yourself) At the smelter we used to get the guys to do a SAFER (stop and first evaluate risks) there were acronyms like ABBI (look above below behind and inside)

To start with people hated it and thought it was a pain. But then they got used to it and it became second nature.

I am fed up of jobsworths and countless hi vis clad numptys spouting H&S nonsense that means very little to the people who fingers are pointed at. But I do believe in thinking about what can go wrong before doing a job.

 

[Apache]

Lamp, Rev

 

[ProDave]

My M8 was asked to run a cable in for a fire alarm company . Gets to job over in Coventry, Courtaulds, 4 hours safety induction , then given Hi-viz jacket, hard hat, gloves, goggles . So dressed thus , he,s in an office full of women working at desks, lifting out ceiling tiles and running a pyro over the the top. Women below have no protection but apparently it only applied to manual workers. :C

Of course the real failing there was the risk assesment FAILED to spot the danger to the women in the office. It should have considered THEIR safety above the safety of the blokes doing the work, and probably insisted they didn't work directly where the pyro was actually being installed.

That again is where the common sense bit also failed. Did the guys doing the work think to suggest to the women that they might not be safe at their desk while we work above. I certainly would have suggested they either go and work somewhere else, or take a break so they are not put at risk.

 

[Manator]

The majority of you are missing the point, I for one always thought H&S was over the top until I had to CDM works and employ people.

We live in a claim society which is now as close to the American system as it has ever been. Interestingly an employer is still responsible even with everything in place, however if that employer takes all reasonable steps to reduce the risk the courts will take this into consideration. Employers can now be prosecuted under the corperate manslaughter act, introduced to make all companies responsible for H&S. With this threat I think H&S does not actually go far enough. It is the mindset of those who think they know how to do their job, which really does need to change.

The implicated costs do have to be added to the original tender, which is often why those who take H&S lightly often do not add this cost to any quote.

H&S does incur an extra cost,and is worth every penny if it helps to reduce accidents at work.

 

[Larnacaman]

I am fed up of jobsworths and countless hi vis clad numptys spouting H&S nonsense that means very little to the people who fingers are pointed at. But I do believe in thinking about what can go wrong before doing a job.

And that's the very reason WHY, overseas contractors do not employ H&S personnel from the UK!!! It cuts out a lot of the carp, leaving the sensible, easy to follow safety procedures to be adhered too...

 

[Manator]

And that's the very reason WHY, overseas contractors do not employ H&S personnel from the UK!!! It cuts out a lot of the carp, leaving the sensible, easy to follow safety procedures to be adhered too...

Until a claim for over 20 million pounds sterling is filed against a EU company that does not follow H&S procedures.

It is a fact that a leading Hollywood stunt man reduces more risk from his job than a general labourer in the UK.

Now that is mindset.

Like the saying it will never happen to me, well in fact it does.

 

[Larnacaman]

The implicated costs do have to be added to the original tender, which is often why those who take H&S lightly often do not add this cost to any quote.H&S does incur an extra cost,and is worth every penny if it helps to reduce accidents at work.

It is also the major reason why UK export products can't compete anymore on the world markets. There is such a thing as going TOO far, and that's exactly what's happened in the UK.

So let's hope those guys adhering to all those numpty rules still have jobs at the end of the day!!! Watch this Space!!! headbang

---------- AUTO MERGE Post added at 01:53 ---------- Previous post was at 01:48 ----------

Until a claim for over 20 million pounds sterling is filed against a EU company that does not follow H&S procedures.It is a fact that a leading Hollywood stunt man reduces more risk from his job than a general labourer in the UK.

Now that is mindset.

Like the saying it will never happen to me, well in fact it does.

The projects i've been involved with over the last 12/15 years have had nothing to do with the EU ...Thank God!!! Guinness

 

[batty]

We may moan about H&S but accidents do happen and if there was not any H&S workers would be a lot worse off. Two workers were killed at a chipboard factory recently imagine what sort of xmas there families will have.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-merseyside-11976289

 

[Manator]

It is also the major reason why UK export products can't compete anymore on the world markets. There is such a thing as going TOO far, and that's exactly what's happened in the UK. So let's hope those guys adhering to all those numpty rules still have jobs at the end of the day!!! Watch this Space!!! headbang

---------- AUTO MERGE Post added at 01:53 ---------- Previous post was at 01:48 ----------

The projects i've been involved with over the last 12/15 years have had nothing to do with the EU ...Thank God!!! Guinness

World trade figures are only, and will only ever be based on, exchange rates.

The UK does in fact have a very strong record in the export business with almost 85% of all produce exported, however our imports do begger belief.

Very interesting as many UK specialists are now at the forefront of all major contracts in India, China and even in new found territories like Chile.

 

[Larnacaman]

World trade figures are only, and will only ever be based on, exchange rates.The UK does in fact have a very strong record in the export business with almost 85% of all produce exported, however our imports do begger belief.

Very interesting as many UK specialists are now at the forefront of all major contracts in India, China and even in new found territories like Chile.

I don't know where your getting that figure of 85% from, industrialists have been quoting much lower figures and talking about the demise of the UK's export market for sometime now....

If your talking about H&S specialists, i doubt that very much. In the international contracting business there avoided like the plague!!! They maybe advising governments and the like, but they are sure not being employed by the contractors.

 

[Revved Up Sparky]

I walked off a building site on Wednesday after the Site Manager demanded that I put up some chandeliers in one of his newly completed houses without wearing my safety boots. The houses was carpeted with nice carpets so I did offer to put dust sheets down everywhere prior to starting work, however the new owner of the house and the Site Manager would not compromise one iota and wanted me to work with ladders, toolbox, and heavy chandeliers whilst just wearing socks. My conclusion was that my personal safety is far more important than anybodys carpet. I walked away.

 

[NozSpark]

Would they not have gone for "over booties"?

you know them elasticated plastic bag affairs

 

[Badger]

Would they not have gone for "over booties"?you know them elasticated plastic bag affairs

or a tescos carrier bag

or a morrisons carrier bag

or a sainsburies carrier bag

or a asda carrier bag

or a kwik save carrier bag

cable tied round the ankle, done that once before, (not all those bags on top of each other mind :^O

 

[Revved Up Sparky]

Would they not have gone for "over booties"?you know them elasticated plastic bag affairs

Yes I offered to go to the local suppliers and get some of those but the new owner of the house was still unhappy about letting me start work. She kept insisting I remove my boots. The Site Manager was also beginning to lose his temper with me and started raising his voice and giving me verbal abuse etc. I calmly pointed to a labourer nearby who was working next to an active JCB without a safety helmet and told him his attitude towards health and safety was pretty awful, to which he replied "if you don't like my site don't work on it".... that was my cue to walk away.

 

[NozSpark]

Sounds like a right dip stick (to put it politely)

 

[Revved Up Sparky]

Sounds like a right dip stick (to put it politely)

My boss used a less polite word. He backed me 100%.

 

[revjames]

Funny how safety is important to some bosses - when it suits them... ie when a H&S inspector is around but as soon as the coast is clear expects you to compromnise your own safety to suit themselves. Good on you for walking off the site and I hope he ended up with egg on his face!

 

[Revved Up Sparky]

Funny how safety is important to some bosses - when it suits them... ie when a H&S inspector is around but as soon as the coast is clear expects you to compromnise your own safety to suit themselves. Good on you for walking off the site and I hope he ended up with egg on his face!

Thanks for that James. Yes this Site Manager gets regular visits from the HSE but they pre-announce their intention to visit so on that day everybody has to wear full PPE etc but like you say, as soon as the HSE have gone it is back to normal. When I was there on Wednesday there were numerous workers without helmets, hi-viz or safety boots, one fella swinging off a forklift and two staffordshire bull terriers, who seemingly belong to the aforementioned Site Manager, running all over the place barking and growling at everybody..... The Heath and Safety inspectors need to turn up without warning to make these spot checks.

Yes as far as I know he did have egg on his face. He phoned my boss to complain about me alleging that I had been awkward and obnoxious and the boss told him that I was one of the nicest people he had ever met etc... O)

 

[revjames]

ha ha.... at AAM I was accused of 'hanging my halo up' when I came to work.... Might have been something to do with a certain fitter kicking water at me - AN UNSAFE ACT (just keeping on topic guys ) and my response to his attempted baptism.