As some of you know, we do quite a bit of site work in our job, where you sometimes have to rely on banksmen.
Now i’m finding my job is at risk because twice in the last 2 months, these so called “trained” people have failed to do their job and warn me of potential disaster.
the result 2 bumps that should have been prevented if these banksmen had been watching and warned me of these unseen hazzards.
Just to make matters worse, the companys insurance company don’t recognise banksmen, hence both of these bumps are “driver blameworthy” hence my job being at risk.
I will find out more when my 10 days holidays are up (Yes they are holidays, not suspension)
Time to find something else me thinks…strangely enough I’m missing RDC work
I ignore any banksman unless it is someone I know and can trust. Any old div can put on an high vis and become a banksman, so you don’t know the good from the bad. Our lowloader driver ripped the side rail of thetrailer today admittedly his fault but he was being overseen by a so called banksman.
simple remedy,
just make a form which states that as you are adhering to the banksmans directions as laid down by site rules ,then he and his company must except blame for any damage howsoever caused by you as a driver or you vehicle whilst under his/her control.
get them to sign,print,date and time it
then and only then will you follow his/hers instructions.
other wise either ignore them or leave site , inform your gaffer before you leave.
gezt:
simple remedy,
just make a form which states that as you are adhering to the banksmans directions as laid down by site rules ,then he and his company must except blame for any damage howsoever caused by you as a driver or you vehicle whilst under his/her control.
get them to sign,print,date and time it
then and only then will you follow his/hers instructions.
other wise either ignore them or leave site , inform your gaffer before you leave.
Well said ive been on a job today where we had a banksman absolutley bloody useless and total waste of time just stood waving his arms about so none of us could understand his signals so when it was my time to reverse into the job i called him over to tell him i didnt understand his signals AND no wonder why when he spoke it became clear he didnt speak ENGLISH
Oh that reminded me of a notice i had seen yesterday at Grangemouth, it said something like, Due to elf and safty asda will not supply a banksman.
Would they rather us run over there staff, lol.
the only reason i look at the banksman is to make sure i don’t run him over! normally, the banksman vest is given to the newest/youngest bloke on site because the others don’t want to walk that far round the site.
none of us could understand his signals so when it was my time to reverse into the job i called him over to tell him i didnt understand his signals AND no wonder why when he spoke it became clear he didnt speak ENGLISH
I had this when they were building the Westfield Shopping Centre opposite the BBC . The numpty was backing me up to the silo which had a new slope up to the discharge point ( I drive a tanker btw ) , he kept beckoning me on till I heard / felt contact . I got out to find I’d grounded the pipework under the tanker and had to abort the delivery . The repairs ran into the hundreds BUT unbelieveably I was the FOURTH tanker driver that day to ground out …sometimes I wonder
timmo:
the only reason i look at the banksman is to make sure i don’t run him over! normally, the banksman vest is given to the newest/youngest bloke on site because the others don’t want to walk that far round the site.
To true,one backed me over a steel rod set in concrete I blew ns 2steer off ,got new tyre and b,down paid for .I ALWAYS take pics with my phone camera of sites of possible near miss,I now have quite a few as evidence
I took some polystyrene cylinders onto the M62 when they were building a bridge. (The cylinders are part of the formers for pouring concrete)
This old bloke with a hard hat came and told me to wait there and he would get the banksman to watch me reverse on site, an even older bloke appeared with a stop sign nailed to a sweeping brush and I was told to watch him.
I started to reverse and had started to bend the drag around a gatepost. The next thing I felt was a bump and I got out and went to the back. I had backed over the wing of a Ford ■■■■■■ van. I could not see the van as it was off to my passenger side where the bloke with the sign was walking. He just said “you just hit that van, driver” It took me all my time not to hit him, stupid [zb]
Of course banksmen have no blame when it goes wrong but woebetide if you reverse onto a site without one. This was in about 1977 but I learnt a valuable lesson that day
on bargain booze once, i was turning into a tight yard, the joey watching me back… then bang i hit a window ledge, when i asked why he didnt tell me bout it he said he was watching the other side
I had one on site today making all sorts of silly hand signals at me so i just got out and said where do you want it?
He was quite upset cos i didnt have any idea what his hand signals meant, I only know a couple of hand signals and i try not to waste them!!
I wonder if we can all do some hand signal training as part of the 35 hours of cpc??
That could be a worthwhile waste of seven hours
Over the years i have been on many sites with so called banksmen and i find out where im tipping,look to see where im going and how to get to it then ignore the banksman.The only time i made an exception was when delivering concrete to frigoscandias site in Kings Lynn when they were building the extension to the cold store and the piling firm had marked out where they were drilling the piles with steel pins.It was like a mine field but credit where credit is due they guided the drivers round the site perfectly.
never trust them its normally the kid whos too thick to do a proper job on site,the other week i was doing a drop in bristol to a factory where the banksman was watching me in, when he shouts top youve hit the racking
got out after not feeling or seeing me hit anything in the mirrors looked up at the racking where he had been guiding me towards and saw just at the right height for a curtainsider a bent piece of racking, shame my wagon is a flatbed and nowhere near 14 foot high, so reckon he was trying to get me the blame for somethintg their driver had done as i noticed on thr way out at the right height on the trailer the same paint as the racking
im sorry stuart you are responsible for the vehicle. never mind banksmen get out and have a good look about firstand clock where all the hazards are then go back as you feel safe.
you have learnt the hard way cos if challanged the banksmen would say " well i did warn him " and the site will take his word everytime.
A few of the stores used to deliver to had “banksmen” people who had been down at the depot and trained for the day to be “banksmen”.
Usually young guys, who you had to tell what to do, most didnt look comfortable. Didn’t need them for guidence knew the layout but they were handy since you were driving into a busy car park during the day and trying to do a blind side reverse, basically instructed them to stop cars and people from walking or driving behind me when i was reversing. Never really any problems, but you had to get them to do their job otherwise they wouldnt bother and smoke a ■■■ or play with their mobile phone. Wouldnt try reversing without one of them at those certain stores far too dodgy, would end up running someone over, people have zero common sense when it comes down to trucks reversing.
jessicas dad:
im sorry stuart you are responsible for the vehicle. never mind banksmen get out and have a good look about firstand clock where all the hazards are then go back as you feel safe.
you have learnt the hard way cos if challanged the banksmen would say " well i did warn him " and the site will take his word everytime.
Actually the site involved “sent home” the banksman soon after the incident, so they know whose fault it was. The problem is that our insurance company don’t recognise banksmen, so yes it is down to me. Lesson learned the hard way
What is it about banksmen, English always seems to be there 3rd language following either Swahili or Giberish. We used to deliver limestone to the old Highbury site when it was being converted into bloody expensive flats. Anyway on more than one occasion the said banksman,usually with a bloody good suntan, would start waving his arms and shouting in a language that even a pi**ed up gecko wouldnt understand. Thankfully the mixer drivers down there were sound and would always guide you in and move there trucks, much to the banksmans disgust, many a time he would come shouting you stop, me bossto be met with a mixer mans version ofplease go away and leave us alone`.
admittedly his fault 
