Where the real danger now lies.

aom

aom

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After reading Riggers thread about the forum missing an opportunity, I thought I would share a small operators thoughts on where I think the real danger now lies now we have so much regulation controlling our activities.

I'm probably in the minority, but I honestly don't mind the harness and step, the TG20 thing has always annoyed me as it's like peeling an orange in your pocket wearing boxing gloves and I can't wait for the update to free us up a bit. I think the last remaining real danger point for most of us is now on the roads. Moving into the dark mornings and dark evenings coupled with the weather means we have come across more than our fair share of accidents some of them fatalities. Last week was probably the worst to date, as a crew bus from Campbeltown was struck by an L200 travelling in the opposite direction on the wrong side of the road driven by a young foreign fella. Sadly the driver of the bus past away at the scene.

It just got me wondering what if anything you or your gaffers do to try and keep the guys safe when travelling between sites?
 
There's bound to be something, service intervals, trackers, blah blah blah.

That been said, nothing would have helped the driver of the crew bus I mentioned.
 
A big must for me is sest belts ali, anybody gets my van or car puts their belt on, cos i dont want to be the one that has to tell their loved ones he died cos he didnt put his belt on...clunk click lads.
Also weekley checks on all vehicles so their road worthy.
 
haha, they would only wreck it.:cry:
 
scaffy 1980 said:
Prob get it stuck like your wagon as well.....lol lol
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Yeah, probably. We were working on Mull last week and I'm a bit sketchy on how exactly the boys managed it but there was a low loader and a track machine up to the axles on the shore. The tide came in and buried the both of them.

gary wheaton said:
Yeh feet on dash feet on screen .ive had a screen go some idiot put his feet on screen with a stone in his sole
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I hate the way some people treat the vehicles. I can't say too much though as I was taking my motor for a service a couple of years back and went to over take a line of cars when some f@nny pulled out in front of me without checking their mirror, how I missed her is still a mystery. I punched the windscreen in frustration and it split from one end to the other.:embarrest:
 
markus said:
Can honestly say I never don't wear the seat belt scaffy, just an instinct as soon as a get in
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I'm the same but not everybody does. The timber truck boys round here carry an adapter to stop that annoying buzzer when they are driving with no belt.
 
markus said:
Can honestly say I never don't wear the seat belt scaffy, just an instinct as soon as a get in
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I once refused to go to work with an old boy cos he wouldnt put his belt on and he was the driver.

---------- Post added at 07:24 PM ---------- Previous post was at 07:22 PM ----------
aom said:
I'm the same but not everybody does. The timber truck boys round here carry an adapter to stop that annoying buzzer when they are driving with no belt.
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I wonder how msny would change their tune if one of their colluges was hurt or killed due to not wearing one?
 
I wonder how msny would change their tune if one of their colluges was hurt or killed due to not wearing one?[/QUOTE]

To be honest mate as sad as it is to say they prob wouldnt as people still think it wont happy to me.

In my eyes safety is a good thing especially in our industry
 
money_hungry said:
I wonder how msny would change their tune if one of their colluges was hurt or killed due to not wearing one?
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To be honest mate as sad as it is to say they prob wouldnt as people still think it wont happy to me.

In my eyes safety is a good thing especially in our industry[/QUOTE]

Probably the biggest single reason for non compliance of any safety feature in our trade, well that and the macho thing.
 
aom said:
To be honest mate as sad as it is to say they prob wouldnt as people still think it wont happy to me.

In my eyes safety is a good thing especially in our industry
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Probably the biggest single reason for non compliance of any safety feature in our trade, well that and the macho thing.[/QUOTE]

The macho bull-sh-it needs to be a thing of the past mate there is no place for it in scaffolding nowadays.
 
aom said:
I'm the same but not everybody does. The timber truck boys round here carry an adapter to stop that annoying buzzer when they are driving with no belt.
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Or the old click the seatbelt in before you get in trick
 
Yeah there is an old boy round here who insists on doing that but I have always thought it must be uncomfortable and just easier to wear.

As for the driving on the road thing, here is what we do. Obviously, we do the legal minimum, mot and insurance and the like. The trucks are 10 weekly which is probably a bit generous when most will be on 6 weekly but you have to remember our location. The vans are serviced and checked every 6000 miles but we rely on a young driver, it used to be 2 but one lost his licence for DD. I know most will know about my narrow escape when speeding but remember it was my car in my time so I have fitted a tracker. Nothing to do with start finish times, purely to let the young fla know not to be speeding and if he does I will know about it. No guarantee, but can't think of much else you can do.
 
Weve got trackers on all our vehicles as well al, to be honest thou it deosnt stop half the lads being abit heavy footed.
I treat my car the same as my van, maintained and serviced twice a year cos its the wife that drives it with the kids in, and god forbid should something happen cos it wasnt done id never forgive myself.
 
philliosmaximus said:
Buy a few Donkey and carts Aom , think of the fuel you will save :laugh::laugh:
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Do you think I will be able to convince the sheriff to come up and operate them for me, he seems to like his donkeys.

---------- Post added at 08:11 PM ---------- Previous post was at 08:10 PM ----------
scaffy 1980 said:
Weve got trackers on all our vehicles as well al, to be honest thou it deosnt stop half the lads being abit heavy footed.
I treat my car the same as my van, maintained and serviced twice a year cos its the wife that drives it with the kids in, and god forbid should something happen cos it wasnt done id never forgive myself.
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The gaffer is leaving himself wide open for trouble if he is letting the boys away with speeding.
 
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