Finally ......

[win-stone]

It looks like, finally, the lunatics have completely taken over.

On a site, loading some equipment.

H&S ■■■■■■ comes up. “What you doing drive?”

“Securing the load.”

H&S, “Not allowed to do that. Get down.”

“Say what?”

H&S, “Site rules. Not allowed to do that. Get down.”

Looks at him, looks at the load… “Sorry, mate… but are you taking the p1ss?”

H&S, “It’s called Working at Height and you need a permit to work. Get down.”

“Really? Tell you what mate, you go and write me a permit and then we’ll all be happy.”

H&S, “I must insist you get down or I’ll be forced to get my Boss!”

“Fine. See you when you get back.”

Obviously, the world is going to end, so he gets on his little radio and calls his Boss. While he’s doing that, I’m carrying on securing the load.

Boss turns up.

H&S b, “Get down Driver.”

“No.”

H&S b, “Pardon?”

“I said No, I won’t bloody get down… not until this load is secure to my satisfaction.”

H&S b, (to oppo) “Call security. I want this driver off site.”

Just as he says that, I finish and get down off the trailer and, because I’ve had enough of the stupid @@nt, go across to him…

"That excavator weighs about 30 tons. It’s MY responsibility to ensure that it’s secure on the trailer because, if anything happens, it’s MY licence and, God forbid, ME that ends up in prison.
The only way to get the chains in the right place is to get up there and actually put them in position; you can 't do that from the ground.
So this lorry moves when - AND ONLY WHEN – * I * am happy.

… and, as for your whining, pathetic ‘That’s working at height’ crap, I’d like to point out that that IS A LOW LOADER!"

I will leave it to Trucknet CSI to guess what happened after that!

[gasgas]

I’ve heard from a number of drivers who are routinely told at clients’ premises that H&S forbids them to strap the load on-site, and they have to drive out of the gate and do it on the public road.

A mate of mine was in a similar situation unloading a large tracked machine at the London Olympic site. They put crash-pads around the low-loader so he could climb onto the deck safely!

Yet still we have accidents like this

commercialmotor.com/news/co … m-and-fine

[colingl]

HSE define working at height like this

Work at height means work in any place where, if precautions were not taken, a person could fall a distance liable to cause personal injury. You are working at height if you:

work above ground/floor level
could fall from an edge, through an opening or fragile surface or
could fall from ground level into an opening in a floor or a hole in the ground

Work at height does not include a slip or a trip on the level, as a fall from height has to involve a fall from one level to a lower level, nor does it include walking up and down a permanent staircase in a building.

So while you are on a low loader, which is a relatively low height, according to the HSE definition , you are still working at height.

[the-snowman]

I got told once that I couldnt go up on the trailer to strap a load on site (a warehouse type place, not building site) and would need to take it outside the yard.

ME - I need to secure it before I can move it

Forkie - Cant go up on the trailer in here. Youll need to move outside the yard then you can strap it and close the curtains

Me - On the public road?

Forkie - Its health and safety policy here mate.

Me - I’m not taking it out of here unsecured. If I can’t strap it here then you’ll need to just take it back off

Forkie - It needs to be out of here today

Me -

Forkie - Ok, just this once but in future, you can’t go up on the trailer in here

Me (To myself)- Yeah yeah yeah whatever

All these places are the same. H & S is of utmost importance right up to the point where it inconveniences them, then it takes a back seat when it suits them

[waddy640]

Colingl:
HSE define working at height like this

Work at height means work in any place where, if precautions were not taken, a person could fall a distance liable to cause personal injury. You are working at height if you:

work above ground/floor level
could fall from an edge, through an opening or fragile surface or
could fall from ground level into an opening in a floor or a hole in the ground

Work at height does not include a slip or a trip on the level, as a fall from height has to involve a fall from one level to a lower level, nor does it include walking up and down a permanent staircase in a building.

So while you are on a low loader, which is a relatively low height, according to the HSE definition , you are still working at height.

How does one enter the cab of the unit? It is some feet above ground level and therefore falls within the H&SE definition.

[win-stone]

waddy640:

Colingl:
HSE define working at height like this

Work at height means work in any place where, if precautions were not taken, a person could fall a distance liable to cause personal injury. You are working at height if you:

work above ground/floor level
could fall from an edge, through an opening or fragile surface or
could fall from ground level into an opening in a floor or a hole in the ground

Work at height does not include a slip or a trip on the level, as a fall from height has to involve a fall from one level to a lower level, nor does it include walking up and down a permanent staircase in a building.

So while you are on a low loader, which is a relatively low height, according to the HSE definition , you are still working at height.

How does one enter the cab of the unit? It is some feet above ground level and therefore falls within the H&SE definition.

… … and how are you supposed to hitch/unhitch a trailer?

Also, if working on a Low-Loader is “Working at height”, why are builders putting staircases in houses!!!

[waddy640]

I suppose the next requirement will be safety harnesses to enable you to enter and leave the cab safely. Then there is the catwalk to connect and disconnect the suzies. The other problem is extending the internal straps, this can’t be done at ground level.

[truckyboy]

i blame the drivers who do as theyre told…i dont…my vehicle doesnt move until the load is secure…or take it off…we have to stand our ground…not some of the time…not all of the time…its the only way.

[conor]

truckyboy:
i blame the drivers who do as theyre told…i dont…my vehicle doesnt move until the load is secure…or take it off…we have to stand our ground…not some of the time…not all of the time…its the only way.

Of course you tell them to take it off…

And I bet you also had a copper come and draw a line in chalk on your tyre and the ground and tell the RDC they couldn’t use a bay either side of you when you ran out of time.

[noeleen]

Conor:

truckyboy:
i blame the drivers who do as theyre told…i dont…my vehicle doesnt move until the load is secure…or take it off…we have to stand our ground…not some of the time…not all of the time…its the only way.

Of course you tell them to take it off…

And I bet you also had a copper come and draw a line in chalk on your tyre and the ground and tell the RDC they couldn’t use a bay either side of you when you ran out of time.

And you would know all about that ? i don’t think so

[hotel_magnum]

perhaps that’s why Renault finished the magnum, no harness to climb the ladder, or hand rail along the walkway, I fell out of the blooming MAN because they had forgotten to fit them, and a nightmare trying to get out of the cab after parking on a ferry.

[dozy]

I did a induction for a new job , at the end of it the chap said have you a white hard hat ? yes I’ve got a hard hat , but is it white , no green , I’ll go and get you one , so he gives me a brand new white hard hat when I’ve already got a green one , couldn’t be bothered to ask what the difference was , just thought if your daft enough to pay for it , get on with it .
I went to a site the other day and bloke said have you enough rachet straps , got 12 mate , bloke piped up you need a minimum of 18 , so I can’t do the job then , depends how many are needed on load , but you just said a minimum of 18 , that’s right , , you need to be able to strap the load safely , but if the load only needs 12 it will be strapped safely , in the event I put on 11 , so what’s he on about , they’ve just ordered loads of new xet tri that have 16 straps on them so there no good then
one of the places we go you can only strap up on tri with curtains shut , it’s apparently for you own safety as if you fall over you won’t fall off the trailer , but if you fall over and smack your head on the concrete you could be inside for hours / days with no - one the wiser
my mate got chucked off site as he was wearing steel toe cap shoes , another mate could nt do a certain type of job as he wears steel toe cap trainers .
I’ve stood there hundreds of times in high viz trousers , high viz top , hard had , steel toe cap boots , safety glasses , gloves & they ask you if you’ve got Ppe
it’s a joke

[noeleen]

dozy:
I did a induction for a new job , at the end of it the chap said have you a white hard hat ? yes I’ve got a hard hat , but is it white , no green , I’ll go and get you one , so he gives me a brand new white hard hat when I’ve already got a green one , couldn’t be bothered to ask what the difference was , just thought if your daft enough to pay for it , get on with it .
I went to a site the other day and bloke said have you enough rachet straps , got 12 mate , bloke piped up you need a minimum of 18 , so I can’t do the job then , depends how many are needed on load , but you just said a minimum of 18 , that’s right , , you need to be able to strap the load safely , but if the load only needs 12 it will be strapped safely , in the event I put on 11 , so what’s he on about , they’ve just ordered loads of new xet tri that have 16 straps on them so there no good then
one of the places we go you can only strap up on tri with curtains shut , it’s apparently for you own safety as if you fall over you won’t fall off the trailer , but if you fall over and smack your head on the concrete you could be inside for hours / days with no - one the wiser
my mate got chucked off site as he was wearing steel toe cap shoes , another mate could nt do a certain type of job as he wears steel toe cap trainers .
I’ve stood there hundreds of times in high viz trousers , high viz top , hard had , steel toe cap boots , safety glasses , gloves & they ask you if you’ve got Ppe
it’s a joke

Rodney you need to get a new job or retire from what you do or change your goals in life some people are misfits in life some are just getting through it without knowing what its all about and some are just doing something they should not be doing

[chillidoritos]

Health and safety is in place to protect us. Can’t reach your internals? Should have a hook for them.

Can’t chain your excavator without getting on the trailer?? Then you need fall prevention in place. A fit for purpose trailer, a mobile staircase with handrail, ally tower? There’s no excuses to be made when you have a bad day and fall off a truck and do your back in, break a limb.

It’s not to make life difficult, it’s to stop the likes of any of us being injured.

Sent from my Swift 2 using Tapatalk

[109lwb]

I have to climb on top of my tanker to read the dipsticks when sucking product on, I’ve a had a few people tell me I can’t… in that scenario I tell them I’m going to have to charge them for a full load as I can’t see how much product I’ve sucked on without checking the dipsticks.
That usually changes thier attitude. Money talks, especially when it’s the difference between a couple of hundred quid for a thousand litres or a full load at £3k.

[ghiabox]

Jesus ■■■■, working at heights?! Its been a while since I worked on a site but I cant remember seeing roofers, or scaffold geezers wearing anything except hard hats and a hard hat isn’t going to save you if you fall

Granted a lot of scaffold companies use safety restraints these days.

[win-stone]

Chillidoritos:
Health and safety is in place to protect us. Can’t reach your internals? Should have a hook for them.

Can’t chain your excavator without getting on the trailer?? Then you need fall prevention in place. A fit for purpose trailer, a mobile staircase with handrail, ally tower? There’s no excuses to be made when you have a bad day and fall off a truck and do your back in, break a limb.

It’s not to make life difficult, it’s to stop the likes of any of us being injured.

Sent from my Swift 2 using Tapatalk

Really?

A hook to reach the internals is fine… but how, if need be, do you adjust the things for length when the buckles are 10 feet from the ground?

Are you saying that houses these days are fitted with safety harnesses, crash mats and all sorts of other things, to enable people to walk upstairs? No? Then why on earth do I need crash mats and all sorts of other cr@p, to work on a LOW LOADER trailer?

If it’s incredibly dangerous to work on a trailer, why do manufacturers fit ladders at the back?

Why, if I’m in middle of a (say) the yard of a builder’s merchant, do I need a hard hat? You only need a hard hat if there’s someone/something above which is a clear and present danger.

I agree with you that H&S is there to keep us safe - there is a difference between Health and Safety and ■■■■■■■■, and 99% of the brainless cr@p that we, as drivers, have to put up with every day, is ■■■■■■■■.

[drempels]

My favourites are the traffic management bods you see infesting building sites in London nowadays. Lurking about in their clown outfits, trying to look assertive (extra points for dark glasses) and wheeling their concertina thingies in and out all day, whilst contradicting each other’s signals, leaving the driver confused.

[waddy640]

Win-Stone:

Chillidoritos:
Health and safety is in place to protect us. Can’t reach your internals? Should have a hook for them.

Can’t chain your excavator without getting on the trailer?? Then you need fall prevention in place. A fit for purpose trailer, a mobile staircase with handrail, ally tower? There’s no excuses to be made when you have a bad day and fall off a truck and do your back in, break a limb.

It’s not to make life difficult, it’s to stop the likes of any of us being injured.

Sent from my Swift 2 using Tapatalk

Really?

A hook to reach the internals is fine… but how, if need be, do you adjust the things for length when the buckles are 10 feet from the ground?

Are you saying that houses these days are fitted with safety harnesses, crash mats and all sorts of other things, to enable people to walk upstairs? No? Then why on earth do I need crash mats and all sorts of other cr@p, to work on a LOW LOADER trailer?

If it’s incredibly dangerous to work on a trailer, why do manufacturers fit ladders at the back?

Why, if I’m in middle of a (say) the yard of a builder’s merchant, do I need a hard hat? You only need a hard hat if there’s someone/something above which is a clear and present danger.

I agree with you that H&S is there to keep us safe - there is a difference between Health and Safety and ■■■■■■■■, and 99% of the brainless cr@p that we, as drivers, have to put up with every day, is ■■■■■■■■.

I once pointed out to a manager that whilst I wasn’t deemed capable of walking via the same routes around the site as his staff and had to follow the companies designated route, I was deemed capable of driving a 44 tonne lorry around the highways and byways of the UK without being a risk to myself or others.

[darkside]

This always make me chuckle.

H+S rules have been driven by workers and especially unions. The cost of this enforcement, and PPE is a direct loss to companies. Please don’t make the mistake of blaming the management/bean counters for the levels of H+S bull we are now seeing. Firms have to show profit, and now they are spending vast amounts on trying to keep themselves from being sued.

That said, no one should be injured at work, end of.

Maybe if so many hadn’t have claimed, and so many walked off/refused jobs because of H+S, we wouldn’t be in this position.

All this H+S costs vast amounts of money, money that maybe we would have seen in our wages instead of going towards Hi Viz kit?