Safety question for excavator operators

[Parm]

As part of my job I regularly have to cross areas where FLT's & electric tug trucks are working, even though I have a hi-vis on I always stop well clear until I'm sure they have seen me before crossing.

All our internal vehicles have a stickers with "if you can't see my eyes, I can't see you"

Important

But some folk think hi vis is some sort of armour plating protection.

You can get squished just as easily with or without hi vis

 

[eLuSiVeMiTe]

Important

But some folk think hi vis is some sort of armour plating protection.

You can get squished just as easily with or without hi vis

Idle curiosity. Why do sites with no vehicular access and no plant insist on hi vis.

 

[Parm]

Idle curiosity. Why do sites with no vehicular access and no plant insist on hi vis.

It’s one of those things where folk who don’t know are in charge.

They have their place but they won’t stop you getting squished

 

[eLuSiVeMiTe]

It’s one of those things where folk who don’t know are in charge.

They have their place but they won’t stop you getting squished

Much like making me wear a helmet when working indoors.

Another reason I stay clear of big sites.

 

[4String.]

You can get squished just as easily with or without hi vis

And the only difference is that if you’re wearing one and you get squished, you have a legitimate claim. If you’re not, you haven’t. Either way, you’re still squished...

Our lot have the usual sign by the gate telling you that once past that point, hi viz and steel capped boots are required. I wear crocs for driving solely because they’re comfortable, but I now stop before I drive through the gate and put my boots on.

We’re also required to wear a hard hat when engaged in any activities in the yard such as loading or unloading, fastening a load on a trailer, using a Hiab, etc. This is simply because a while back two of the lads were fastening loads on their trailers when one of threw a chain over the load and it hit the other guy on the head. No permanent harm was done, but to protect themselves, the company put the hard hat policy in place. The M.D. himself even said to me that he doesn’t give a flying whatsit if we don’t wear them, but it’s our fault if we’re not and we get hurt...

 

[4String.]

Much like making me wear a helmet when working indoors.

Another reason I stay clear of big sites.

Not aimed at you, but it’s always been said that if you give a British worker all the safety gear he needs to keep himself safe, he’ll do his damndest not to wear it.

I realised a long time back that some battles aren’t worth fighting. I know exactly what I have to do and what I need to wear to keep myself safe, and I now do all that, irrespective of what other people think I should do. Sometimes I’m the only one that’s wearing a hard hat, but that’s my company’s policy so I adhere to it. I recently loaded at a farm and as usual I had full safety gear on when the main danger I was in was slipping on decomposing entrails of dead cows, but in the extremely unlikely event of something going wrong with the lift, I’d done all I could to keep myself safe.

 

[Pete.]

Idle curiosity. Why do sites with no vehicular access and no plant insist on hi vis.

It immediately identifies someone who should not be there. Site dangers don't only come from moving plant so a person who doesn't have a vest on is immediately identified as someone who 'doesn't belong' in the work area. Might even be a thief, looking to nick your stuff.

 

[eLuSiVeMiTe]

Good point re recognising Interlopers.

Might even be a thief, looking to nick your stuff

There normally working on site from experience.

That's reason No3 I avoid big sites.
Keeping your tools safe is a constant battle.

 

[Parm]

And the only difference is that if you’re wearing one and you get squished, you have a legitimate claim. If you’re not, you haven’t. Either way, you’re still squished...

Our lot have the usual sign by the gate telling you that once past that point, hi viz and steel capped boots are required. I wear crocs for driving solely because they’re comfortable, but I now stop before I drive through the gate and put my boots on.

We’re also required to wear a hard hat when engaged in any activities in the yard such as loading or unloading, fastening a load on a trailer, using a Hiab, etc. This is simply because a while back two of the lads were fastening loads on their trailers when one of threw a chain over the load and it hit the other guy on the head. No permanent harm was done, but to protect themselves, the company put the hard hat policy in place. The M.D. himself even said to me that he doesn’t give a flying whatsit if we don’t wear them, but it’s our fault if we’re not and we get hurt...

They do have a place but I don’t support the idea of legitimate claim idea

 

[Parm]

It immediately identifies someone who should not be there. Site dangers don't only come from moving plant so a person who shouldn't have a vest on is immediately identified as someone who 'doesn't belong' in the work area. Might even be a thief, looking to nick your stuff.

But most thief’s have one, probably nicked from another site

Some places with good CCTV now insist you have company logos on front and back to pick out idiots messing around

 

[brightspark]

Idle curiosity. Why do sites with no vehicular access and no plant insist on hi vis.

we worked for the council on house extensions no machinery. we had to wear them so everyone could identify workers from the punters living there

 

[Pete.]

But most thief’s have one, probably nicked from another site

Some places with good CCTV now insist you have company logos on front and back to pick out idiots messing around

Many of the sites I work on require not only your logo but your name on your hard hat. The site I am on right now provides the workwear and requires that everyone wears it. Good stuff mind, as good or better than I'd normally be wearing. They issue everything from the boots up.

 

[Parm]

Many of the sites I work on require not only your logo but your name on your hard hat. The site I am on right now provides the workwear and requires that everyone wears it. Good stuff mind, as good or better than I'd normally be wearing. They issue everything from the boots up.

Good and increasingly common

it’s designed to deal with subbies that use contract labour provided through agencies. They usually have rubbish kit

 

[Parm]

we worked for the council on house extensions no machinery. we had to wear them so everyone could identify workers from the punters living there

Probably not too difficult

 

[Ali]

Much like making me wear a helmet when working indoors.

Another reason I stay clear of big sites.

Had a job recently installing some ducting and electrics below fixed benching, for a big main contractor. Despite hard hat making the work seriously uncomfortable, not to mention difficult (visibility etc), and no other work going on in the area, they wouldn’t make an exception. Mandatory PPE or you’re off site. I don’t get to choose where I work unfortunately.

 

[Ali]

The posts re: lift area / proximity have made it click why alarm bells perhaps went off unnecessarily. I’m always a pedestrian on site and I know that these operators can’t see everything so I follow the advice of staying away, making eye contact etc., and I’d expect (in that environment) to see a wide area zoned off. Just being that close to one of these machines moving about as I was when on the road is unnatural to me.

Thanks, interesting conversation even though it might have been a stupid question.

 

[snowcat]

But most thief’s have one, probably nicked from another site

Some places with good CCTV now insist you have company logos on front and back to pick out idiots messing around

A friend of mine was once operating on site the days of the JS JCBs early 2000snds I would guess, Man in hi-vis turns up official paperwork and low loader tell him to dig his tracks out as he was now off hire office will give him a ring and let him know where his new site was once he was on route, knowing the company and not thinking this was unusual for plans to change, he dutifully dug out the tracks tracked it on and gave the driver a hand chaining on...….. Low loader left and as he hadn't heard from the office he phoned to find out where the job site was, you can guess the rest...… LL had been nicked the night before put on false plates and then they had decided to get a whole kit form plant operation FOC before putting on a boat to Africa.

Most of us would like to think were not that easily fooled, but the front and the confidence of some of these guys can even fool the most astute..... Firm I used to do some work for would often have the stickers removed with the company logos in working hrs if parked up...… they would often be either taking pictures to pre-sell before nicking or making it unidentifiable when it was nicked.

Weve had 2 telehandlers go and were no longer insured if there left overnight in an unlocked building....

 

[Parm]

Much like making me wear a helmet when working indoors.

Another reason I stay clear of big sites.

Hard hat is only good to provide protection against dropped objects, inside or out.

If you fall the first thing coming off your body is the hard hat !

If serious head protection is required then hard hat with chin strap is required

 

[Parm]

A friend of mine was once operating on site the days of the JS JCBs early 2000snds I would guess, Man in hi-vis turns up official paperwork and low loader tell him to dig his tracks out as he was now off hire office will give him a ring and let him know where his new site was once he was on route, knowing the company and not thinking this was unusual for plans to change, he dutifully dug out the tracks tracked it on and gave the driver a hand chaining on...….. Low loader left and as he hadn't heard from the office he phoned to find out where the job site was, you can guess the rest...… LL had been nicked the night before put on false plates and then they had decided to get a whole kit form plant operation FOC before putting on a boat to Africa.

Most of us would like to think were not that easily fooled, but the front and the confidence of some of these guys can even fool the most astute..... Firm I used to do some work for would often have the stickers removed with the company logos in working hrs if parked up...… they would often be either taking pictures to pre-sell before nicking or making it unidentifiable when it was nicked.

Weve had 2 telehandlers go and were no longer insured if there left overnight in an unlocked building....

Easily done, few years ago I read some work done by a uni student looking at thefts on construction sites.

Most crimes were carried out in broad day light with folk acting all official with a simple hi vis.

Think most people have wised up to this scam

 

[Spark plug]

Easily done, few years ago I read some work done by a uni student looking at thefts on construction sites.

Most crimes were carried out in broad day light with folk acting all official with a simple hi vis.

Think most people have wised up to this scam

You know what they say, if you want to hide something, hide it in plain site.