Advice for a labourer who's new to the industry?

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thestupidnewguy

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Hi guys,

I recently started working in scaffolding as a labourer. I've been with this company for nearly five months. The company I work for uses system and tube and clamp.

Do you guys have any advice for a new guy? I want to be as good at my job as possible.
 
just watch & listen!!! any idiot can turn a spanner!! so what you need to do is become the best labour you can, trust me if you can work out whats coming next you are on the way of becoming a good scaff, this will take time bud so please do not rush yourself and worry about having a set of spanners hanging of the hip!!
 
Come and work with me , we got a couple of big lumps going up and i guarantee you will be an awesome labourer by the time there up ;)
 
I got told off my owd dad - 2 eyes to watch, 2 ears to listen, 1 mouth to ask what you dont understand. You will learn alot by looking and listening, most of the good scaffs have been really good labourers, generally, a good gang can work together without having to ask what they want next.


The key is to know what the scaff wants and get it before he needs it, then be able to get so far in front with the gear that you can get up and learn on the spanners.

It takes time to become a good scaff, dont rush it cos even after 25 years you will still learn something new!
 
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You can start by saying fittings and not clamps and go on from there
 
After 5 months I would say you are no longer the stupid new guy and should be beginning to think about training opportunities. You will still have loads to learn but it should now be supplemented with a bit of hands on experience and training courses, which will not mean you are immune from spending a lot of time still fetching gear but I would begin to push to get up there now and again.

How does it work in Canada, do the new guys attend a recognised training centre?
 
aom said:
After 5 months I would say you are no longer the stupid new guy and should be beginning to think about training opportunities. You will still have loads to learn but it should now be supplemented with a bit of hands on experience and training courses, which will not mean you are immune from spending a lot of time still fetching gear but I would begin to push to get up there now and again.

How does it work in Canada, do the new guys attend a recognised training centre?
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There aren't any schools to learn scaffolding in my province. :( Scaffolding isn't considered to be a trade in Canada.
 
Mmm, so who builds them, is it just anyone? Advice would still be the same, get up there and get twirling a spanner.
 
only advise i would give is to leave any attitude at home and do as your told with ur eyes and ears open
 
thestupidnewguy said:
The company that I work for recruits scaffolders from the United Kingdom and Ireland.
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Oh ok. Seems a bit expensive but maybe the Brits are cheaper than the local labour. Why does he recruit over here if there is no legal obligation to use trained scaffs and why are you working in a job with no real prospects or will he eventually get rid of the Brits and replace them with un-carded local labour? I have now given you more questions than answers, sorry.
 
If your'e working with Brits and Irish guys you should already know that they are called fittings not clamps as the firm you're on don't use clamps, hence the fellas having to send back home for spanners :blink1::wacko:
And they are tubes, not pipes or feckin poles !
 
general manager said:
Does your company class them as tradesmen or semi skilled ?
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I don't know. They get paid between $25-$35 per hour depending on their experience.

aom said:
Why does he recruit over here if there is no legal obligation to use trained scaffs abd why are you working in a job with no real prospects or will he eventually get rid of the Brits and replace them with un-carded local labour? I have now given you more questions than answers, sorry.
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I don't know why he recruits foreign scaffolders. I guess you guys are good at your jobs? :D We also have a lot of irish labourers.

I need a job. And hopefully Canada will make scaffolding a trade..... probably not for a while.
 
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bri when ever i got a head of the scaffs it was fag time lol hats y am on 40 a day ;)lol
i well ya got the hard bit done ya lasted 5 munfs lol got me cousin a start he lasted 3 dads had weeknd off and thne never came in on monday poor bugger only 17 and just wearnt cut out for our spot lol
 
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