Want to Learn More in Scaffolding

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peter baxter

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Hello all,

I have just joined a major construction project as HSE Inspector, a new role for me, normally accustomed to managing construction projects. Working at Height is a major risk on site, which scaffolding playes a kew role in allowing workers to do their work safely. I want to lanr more about scaffolding in order to observe good and bad practices and make the necessary interventions duting daily HSE inspection walkabouts.....

I'm hopeing that this forum will make me a richer person and help to make our workers safe and sound...

cheers
Peter
 
best to start at labouring,then move onto the spanner,then few years doing job,then when you have all the understanding of what its about,you will know how to be a good hse person.
 
Hello Peter the trouble with most HSE inspectors is that they never see anything from our point of view, our job is dirty hard and dangerous,all they are concern with is paper work and are you conforming to the letter with risk assessments and method statements maybe if you worked with scaffolders for a week or two you would understand things from there point of view when some stupid person from HSE turns up and says "oh you cant do that"
it is very much a them and us scenario , if you turn a blind eye then you are not doing your job properly.
 
Guys, really appreciate the honest feedback. It's a superb idea to get on the boards with the scaffold team. My job involves no paperwork, just observation, questions on the what why and how. Better to understand the reasoning of situation as opposed to waving any red stop cards, this only gets peoples backs up. Here I noticed they work like trojans to allow the platform for workers to do their own job. The only worry I have is when the condition arises when fall arrest is the only risk mitigation, i.e maybe you can help here in terms of your experience, what is tolerable. To work with scaffold team, I guess I will need to do an induction course, as I cannot go up scaffolding during erection(red tag). Let me investigate......thanks again.
 
Peter i have always felt that if the job is done by good qualified men then it gets done properly , at the end of the day we all want to go home to our family's.problems seem to start when unrealistic time constraints are put on men, also when sub contractors use labour that is not qualified for the job.
iam sure as long as you wear a harness and are au fait with its use then you could go up and observe the scaffolders at close quarters.

10 out of 10 for trying to understand Peter shame a few more HSE wouldnt do the same.
 
not being funny with you or owt,but i know a lot of scaffs out there that begrudge people telling them how to do there job properly,when they go and do a three day course at bircham or the likes,and end up having more power than the scaffs that have had to work years in all weathers,all conditions,you just cant get this experience over three days.then theres the respect that scaffs have for the people with the knowledge,its past down from one to the other.walk a week in our boots,then you might get an idea of what we are about. i think hse people should be exscaffs that have at least 15 years in the job,then we might get somewere.
 
welcome peter , im sure youl learn a fair bit on here , or post questions chief
 
understanding us

dear pete, why isnt there more people from HSE like you?? in my humble opinion most HSE inspectors r up their own arses who turn up on site with a **** load of paper work that they dont even understand. I think if u stay onsite for a day or two with scaffs n see the probs we face n how hard some jobs r to do u will have a better understanding ov the job all round. Take last week for example HSE woz on site banging on bout safety this safety that n he told us we must be clipped on at all times but what he didnt notice is that not one ov the lads had double lanyard meaning there has to be a point where we wont be conforming to sg4.5 and evry now n again we wont be clipped on. He didnt have a clue bout double lanyard n couldnt grasp the point at hand n thats because he int a scaff. Go get stuck in wiv the lads n u will understand us n our way ov working!! We're not a bad bunch and nine out of ten scaffs will help u out wenever they can please feel free to be the same. If theres anything else u need to know n i can help just giz a shout mate.I have a feeling that ur attitude will carry u far in your new job!! Good luck fella!!
 
peter baxter said:
Guys, really appreciate the honest feedback. It's a superb idea to get on the boards with the scaffold team. My job involves no paperwork, just observation, questions on the what why and how. Better to understand the reasoning of situation as opposed to waving any red stop cards, this only gets peoples backs up. Here I noticed they work like trojans to allow the platform for workers to do their own job. The only worry I have is when the condition arises when fall arrest is the only risk mitigation, i.e maybe you can help here in terms of your experience, what is tolerable. To work with scaffold team, I guess I will need to do an induction course, as I cannot go up scaffolding during erection(red tag). Let me investigate......thanks again.
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Hi Peter, welcome to the forum, nice to see hse on here. I'm not exactly sure of your job requirements as most inspectors I ever met spent half their life doing paper work. In regard to fall arrest, search the forum for advanced guard rail thread, there you will find loads of info regarding them and the step both of which are useless in my humble opinion. I for one am looking forward to your input, I have plenty questions for you.
 
numbnuts said:
not being funny with you or owt,but i know a lot of scaffs out there that begrudge people telling them how to do there job properly,when they go and do a three day course at bircham or the likes,and end up having more power than the scaffs that have had to work years in all weathers,all conditions,you just cant get this experience over three days.then theres the respect that scaffs have for the people with the knowledge,its past down from one to the other.walk a week in our boots,then you might get an idea of what we are about. i think hse people should be exscaffs that have at least 15 years in the job,then we might get somewere.
Click to expand...
ur right there,well said
 
richale said:
dear pete, why isnt there more people from HSE like you?? in my humble opinion most HSE inspectors r up their own arses who turn up on site with a **** load of paper work that they dont even understand. I think if u stay onsite for a day or two with scaffs n see the probs we face n how hard some jobs r to do u will have a better understanding ov the job all round. Take last week for example HSE woz on site banging on bout safety this safety that n he told us we must be clipped on at all times but what he didnt notice is that not one ov the lads had double lanyard meaning there has to be a point where we wont be conforming to sg4.5 and evry now n again we wont be clipped on. He didnt have a clue bout double lanyard n couldnt grasp the point at hand n thats because he int a scaff. Go get stuck in wiv the lads n u will understand us n our way ov working!! We're not a bad bunch and nine out of ten scaffs will help u out wenever they can please feel free to be the same. If theres anything else u need to know n i can help just giz a shout mate.I have a feeling that ur attitude will carry u far in your new job!! Good luck fella!!
Click to expand...

Well said Richale.

Peter welcome to the Scaffolders Forum mate, i like your style, asking for advice from the Guys at the pointy end.

For this reason we have formed the Scaffolders Confederation for Consultation Rights, to try and enable us to get a foothold within
the formulation of new and existing Regs,Acts,Guidance notes and ACOP's

I for one look forward to any input or suggestions posted by you.

Regards
Paddy
Vice Chairman SCCR
 
Welcome Peter,

Head over the parapet seems to ring true here, hats off to your open approach. Scaffs and safety aren't so oil and water as people think and more could learn from your approach. Finding out what it's like rather than simply telling us how they think it is.

As my learned friends have said we all want to go home at the end of the day, but a little consultation rather than patronising insistance will go a long way.

Once again welcome.
 
Or8 pete,i do applaude more people workin 4 the HSE in the game weeding out cowboy scaff firms etc but t b honest if u have no experience about scaffolding u should not b in the position u r in.
An easy way t piss every cowboy off is t look 4 missing sg4,but with the new advanced guardrail system it should b on.
B4 u even start lookin at 300 from node on ties,joint staggering,angles and lenghts ov spurs/rakers,intermidiate trasnsoms(v common now 1.2 so every standardish bay should have 1)u will b tied in knots(not a figure ov 8)by some1 who knows relatively little and will is aggressive twards u.
If u get any problems call me but at £50 an hour + expenses if a can b bothered al help u out!lol
 
Haha Grum ..

Theres loads on to help but if you have a HSE status you should know the working at heights laws to the tee. My advice is dont go in head first and talk and get on with the lads. Its all about give and take . The worst thing you can do is call the shots from day 1 because it will not go down well. Communication is the key.
 
Welcome Peter to the scaffolders forum

I like your approach to your new job and your desire to learn By reading the posts in this thread so far you will know what a mixed bag we are,personally I am a H&S advisor and scaffold Inspector, there at two more inspectors that post on this forum to my knowledge. I differ from you in one major aspect that is I have worked on the tools and in management within the scaffold industry for 40 years.Having said that I am still learning because I like to be on top of my job and the dynamic nature of legislation that applies to the construction industry makes it a must

Paddy mate any chance you can move the thread to the "scaffolders Forum" where it will no doubt reach a greater audience I for one would like to know the general feeling of members as regards H&S scaffold inspectors and Tag Men,are scaffold registers up todate ??,are valid inspections carried out prior to signing the register???
 
Hi and Welcome To The Scaffolders Forum!

Best Regards

SF Admin
 
peter baxter said:
Hello all,

I have just joined a major construction project as HSE Inspector, a new role for me, normally accustomed to managing construction projects. Working at Height is a major risk on site, which scaffolding playes a kew role in allowing workers to do their work safely. I want to lanr more about scaffolding in order to observe good and bad practices and make the necessary interventions duting daily HSE inspection walkabouts.....

I'm hopeing that this forum will make me a richer person and help to make our workers safe and sound...

cheers
Peter
Click to expand...

Welcome Peter
I would reccomend that you first read through TG20:08 disregard volume 2 has it is nit worth the paper its written on now the EU are updating the UK wind speed database. You will also need to learn about SG4:05 guidelines which as from November will become obsolete when SG4:10 is introduced.You should also understand that the NASC guide is written in accordance with the requirements of BS-EN-12811-1 which is not a legal requirement , just guidance on good practice.
I would also reccomend that you undertake a scaffold appreciation course ,I think we have had a few HSE inspectors on courses at safety & access
 
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numbnuts said:
not being funny with you or owt,but i know a lot of scaffs out there that begrudge people telling them how to do there job properly,when they go and do a three day course at bircham or the likes,and end up having more power than the scaffs that have had to work years in all weathers,all conditions,you just cant get this experience over three days.then theres the respect that scaffs have for the people with the knowledge,its past down from one to the other.walk a week in our boots,then you might get an idea of what we are about. i think hse people should be exscaffs that have at least 15 years in the job,then we might get somewere.
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I agree wit ya,I know a guy that was in that situtation ,was a great scaffolder for yrs then went into the safety aspect,he was on the last job i was on multi million over 300million,he made the scaffolders lives terrible he did not give in,he was a demon,if you put a beam in a scaffolder just to cut a tube from below ,well he wanted a drawing ,any scaffold that had a beam ,even just carrying 1 lift he insisted on a drawing ,in the end the company paid him off and ran him,he was a strange guy,one minute he spoke like a cockney,then it was ,half irish half scottish watch out for him
 
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