Boot on the other foot.

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brandy

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Last feb we erected 2 platforms to hold traffic warning signs (solar panel types) on the bends of a narrow road to warn traffic of site exit road. We had do a method statement risk assessment and an SPA (safe plan of action). and the gear had to be carried across the road. The project team are all gone now and only the safety officer is left and in charge. Last thursday at 2pm he told us to strike the scaffolds, I told him we would do it in the morning as it would be dark soon. He said they have to come down now that was his instructions, He's not a bad guy so we obliged him and he gave us a hand, but we did'nt need method statements risk assessments or anything. I just thought that when the pressure is put on the boot is on the other foot.

Yesterday another safety officer told me pull a tag on a scaffold that was covered in icicle's even on the ladders due to a burst pipe overhead. This morning the scaffold was in a worse condition and the fitter foreman asked me to put the tag back on, I told him to go to the S/O. The S/O handed me the tag and told me to put it on, I refused on the grounds that by me putting the tag on I was saying that it was safe to work on it, which it was'nt, and if he considered it unsafe yesterday it was worse now. Apparently the leak had to be fixed and pressure was on him. His answer was to for me to get my lads to go up on the scaffold and hack off the ice, I told him that I would'nt send anyone up in conditions like that. The fitters were'nt too keen to be up on it but he put the tag back on because the pressure was put on, another example of the boot on the other foot.
 
Does he have the right to put the tag back on the scaffold when he is advised by someone who knows what they are talking about ? i dont think so mate . It is always the same We were told to come in on a weekend by a S/O to do a really awkward section of a tempory roof as the S/O wouldn't be there and the company didnt want to pay for a road closure and a mobile crane , but to phone him when it was done so he could sleep easy, i always find when it comes to money things change :worried:
 
surely if the ice is not affecting the actual structure itself except for being slippy then surely its just upto the manager to arrange someway off removing the ice in a safe way.

or is the ice creatin an overloading hazard or something
 
This is in a company that you have to use the zebra crossings to cross the roads in their plant, I once got pulled up for not doing it by the same S/O. 2 rules it seems 1 for them and 1 for us. Forgot to mention that over the weekend someone robbed the batteries and the solar panels off the traffic warning machines, and I swear it was'nt us.

---------- Post added at 11:39 PM ---------- Previous post was at 11:24 PM ----------
superscaff75 said:
surely if the ice is not affecting the actual structure itself except for being slippy then surely its just upto the manager to arrange someway off removing the ice in a safe way.

or is the ice creatin an overloading hazard or something
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No it would'nt cause overloading, but it was in a bad way ice wise. The thing is it was the S/O who judged it unsafe and then when he was told to get it re tagged he tried to put the onus on me to say it was safe by me putting the tag on, I was'nt going to take responsibility so I refused and told him my reasons for it. He got people to go up and hack the ice off and clear the boards with salt.
 
quite right brandy as the tag man you set the standard of scaffolding on site,if you deem it unsafe for use that should be the end of it.there should never arise a situation that puts a man or men in dangerous working conditions(thats what they preach to us aint it?)
 
yeah fully agree with ya, what i meant to say was he shouldnt have pulled tag in first, once tag pulled it needs inspecting and tagging again, therefore its too dangerous to inspect because of ice.

he should of left you out of it, just put sign on ladder saying saying danger do not use till ice has been removed or summit, then when engineer turned up sprayed it with ice melt and clear it making it safe to use, no need to involve you , no need to pull or replace tag and just a visual pre use inspection before use needed.

sites an site managers are always first to raise the topic of tags , and the need for them but sharp turn blind eye when they need to dig trench paralell with it or load bricks an stuff over hrail etc etc
 
Brandy, you should of asked him to complete a M/S R/ASS or some sort of safe system of work to remove the ice and or inspect the scaffold, if he couldn't then i am afraid leave it alone, if he could devise a safe method then get on with the task.
As for the TAG, its not a legal obligation so thats how they can change their minds when they want.

P.S i know exactly where your coming from and i'm afraid we minnions have just got to accept it.????
 
Excuse the pun, but Double Standards, come to mind. I keep getting asked a question on inspection courses, with regard to Lightening strikes, what should we do? My answer is always Risk Assessment and Method Statement. By the time these have been done you could have had a fortnight’s holiday in Spain, when all scenarios are considered and the all control measures are put in place. In my opinion, you should have requested that the Safety Officer sign a declaration / statement to waiver all safety concerns with this job and kept it in a safe place, for future reference.
 
if he wanted on my scaffold with the conditions so dramaticaly changed that my scaffolders would be put in a dangerouse situation,then i would have demanded the R\A be altered to encapsulate the new risk\risks unforseen in the current R\A,im sure this would have deterred the crank.
 
brandy said:
Last feb we erected 2 platforms to hold traffic warning signs (solar panel types) on the bends of a narrow road to warn traffic of site exit road. We had do a method statement risk assessment and an SPA (safe plan of action). and the gear had to be carried across the road. The project team are all gone now and only the safety officer is left and in charge. Last thursday at 2pm he told us to strike the scaffolds, I told him we would do it in the morning as it would be dark soon. He said they have to come down now that was his instructions, He's not a bad guy so we obliged him and he gave us a hand, but we did'nt need method statements risk assessments or anything. I just thought that when the pressure is put on the boot is on the other foot.

Yesterday another safety officer told me pull a tag on a scaffold that was covered in icicle's even on the ladders due to a burst pipe overhead. This morning the scaffold was in a worse condition and the fitter foreman asked me to put the tag back on, I told him to go to the S/O. The S/O handed me the tag and told me to put it on, I refused on the grounds that by me putting the tag on I was saying that it was safe to work on it, which it was'nt, and if he considered it unsafe yesterday it was worse now. Apparently the leak had to be fixed and pressure was on him. His answer was to for me to get my lads to go up on the scaffold and hack off the ice, I told him that I would'nt send anyone up in conditions like that. The fitters were'nt too keen to be up on it but he put the tag back on because the pressure was put on, another example of the boot on the other foot.
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you should of told him to strip it himself and make sure he took all the fittings off the tube before you picked it up lol
 
I had a similar experience not so long ago Brandy although I didn't manage to escape with so much dignity I'm afraid, like you I thought I was doing some guy a favour, there is that many of them I gave up even trying to work out their official title or if they actually do anything. He asked if I would go up and clear a bit on another part of the site but refused as it was getting dark, he pleaded with me but stood my ground, however after mentioning it to the boys they wanted to do it as it would mean an easy Friday with no travel and a good chance of an early shoot so I left them to it and started up the road on my own with a truck loaded to the tits with gear. The boys did the job and another of these so called managers watched them until the last bit of gear was lifted then picked on the youngest and rounded on him for working unsafe in the dark. I think the boys just took it and left but I really wish I had been there to give him a few home truths.
 
Was in the same S/O,s office today and noticed the amount of diplomas, certs, member of this and that, hung on the wall behind his desk, had never seen them there before. He even had a scaffold inspection cert and I know for a fact that it was only a 2 day one. I remember him doing it on site and I knew the instructor. A few days after doing It, I suppose to show off his new found skills he pulled me up in front of the engineer because I was using B/P's on a particular job and stated that they were not load bearing fittings. I let him dig himself further into the hole by asking him why?, and then produced a fitting manual that's in the truck for the trainee. His response was they must be a new type of fitting because they were'nt covered in the inspection course. I did'nt bother to explain that they are the original universal fitting thinking he might look for a cert for them.
 
makesb me laugh how so many designs include them now , when will the dh be coming back next i wonder
 
i use them scaffy for the stop end toe board , put it on the last standard and the stop end toe board slots right into it no need for a 5 foot standard
 
call me an idiot , i dont get that ??? do u mean dh ???
 
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