More H&S bollo

UK PROFESSIONAL DRIVERS FORUMS THE UK PROFESSIONAL DRIVERS FORUM (INTERACTIVE)
1

Had some Herbert on a forklift telling me I should not be on the back of my trailer (sorting out lengths of internal straps)
I said ‘‘Oh yeh, and why’s that then’’ got the standard answer that stifles any argument today in this country…‘‘Health and safety mate’’
I replied with a laugh, shake of head and a ‘‘ffs’’ and promptly got down like a good lad.

After I was loaded his boss came out and accused me of being awkward with his flt driver. I replied ‘‘I was not awkward, I got off my trailer as I was told, but I did not realise it was compulsory to take this ■■■■ seriously’’
He just grinned said ‘‘You know how things are today’’ and walked away after a friendly exchange of banter.

(I was a bit ■■■■■■ the flt driver did not say something else to me, or just left it rather than scurry off to his boss, but that is not my point)

What I wondered was, seeing as I was on my co.s trailer, surely the co’s employers liability insurance would cover me if I fell off.
Ok maybe not if I was doing acrobatics on the trailer roof or something, but it was an essential and legitamite job I was doing…preparing the straps prior to securing.

2

Tell him you’ve just done a dynamic risk assessment of the job that needed doing and your dynamic risk assessment supersedes his Company assessment. It’s probably bollox but it confuses them and more importantly it’s a double bluff that invariably makes them think you know more about this crap than them, so rather than possibly been made to look foolish they’ll walk away and leave you to get on with it.

3

robroy:
Had some Herbert on a forklift telling me I should not be on the back of my trailer (sorting out lengths of internal straps)
I said ‘‘Oh yeh, and why’s that then’’ got the standard answer that stifles any argument today in this country…‘‘Health and safety mate’’
I replied with a laugh, shake of head and a ‘‘ffs’’ and promptly got down like a good lad.

After I was loaded his boss came out and accused me of being awkward with his flt driver. I replied ‘‘I was not awkward, I got off my trailer as I was told, but I did not realise it was compulsory to take this [zb] seriously’’
He just grinned said ‘‘You know how things are today’’ and walked away after a friendly exchange of banter.

(I was a bit ■■■■■■ the flt driver did not say something else to me, or just left it rather than scurry off to his boss, but that is not my point)

What I wondered was, seeing as I was on my co.s trailer, surely the co’s employers liability insurance would cover me if I fell off.
Ok maybe not if I was doing acrobatics on the trailer roof or something, but it was an essential and legitamite job I was doing…preparing the straps prior to securing.

I’ve had this exact same argument, not recently though. On the trailer sorting straps and lengthening a few.

‘Get down, you can’t be up there!’

‘Why not?’

‘Health and safety, yadda, yadda, yadda.’

‘Ok, take those 4 pallets off, don’t bother about the rest.’

‘What?’

‘You heard me, if I can’t secure them, they ain’t going.’

Gaffer comes out and gets told the same.

‘Do what you need to do, driver, just try not fall, it’s a hell of a lot of paperwork.’

It would seem forklift halfwits have the ability to make up site rules as they go along, I do like seeing rules that contradict themselves, makes you realise it is all made up bolleaux.

A.

4

Wh Malcolms are having the same who arr now not allowing drivers on trls when loading due to some drivers falling and claiming ,they’ve loaded glass for years and the driver gets on the back and threads the rope through the top block of plt now its dangerous !!! but its WHM policy to rope the load that way no the customer they are all being (re trained ) to load from the floor by placing the glass down putting rope through standing back from the flt then when its gone to bring more glass roping up and so on ,going to take at least an hour to load , what a load of bollx

5

H&S is the site’s responsibility. If you have a system of work that you deem to be safe then the site would be responsible for overseeing it is carried out correctly, which is too confusing when there are multiple contractors delivering so they default to their own system because they know how to check it.

6

But…

I’ve lost count over the years of the number of sites I’ve been on where there’s a big mirror with the words ‘You’re looking at the person responsible for your safety’ above it.

As the title say’s More H&S bollo.

7

Sadly I think H&S these days is mostly just a way of covering one’s arse.

It has it’s place, but it ain’t always the real issue at all, more like liability. i.e. who’s writing the cheque if it all goes ■■■■ up…

Anyway, apart from that, what did they expect you to do? Do your curtains up, leave site, sort internal straps then come back in…■■ More jobsworths at work by the sound of it, least the boss understood in this case.

8

Sod them. If I can’t secure the trailer then the load doesn’t get touched.

9

Under those circumstances I might have been tempted to play the other card:

You want these pallets moving.
I have to secure the palllets.
I need to get to those straps.
You’re saying I can’t.
So… … … either, take the pallets back off, or you provide a suitable cherry-picker type machine complete with man-basket and all the safety equipment (Harnesses, hats, etc) and a suitably qualified operator.

Your call.

Betcha that would shut them up!

Alternately, my favourite is to highlight that they are in breach of H&S (and you can bet your bottom dollar that there is someting you can pick up on!): recent case in point… …
Standing in back of a fridge unit using a pallet truck to move pallet to the back for the flt.
Flt asks where hard hat is.
After I’d stopped laughing he wandered off. Manager appeared and began to berate me on “Not wearing a hard hat while working in the back of the fridge unit” When I asked why a hh was necessary told that, and I quote “For your own protection should you fall out the back”!
Really, you couldn’t make it up.
Anyway, I pointed out that it was a bit ZB hypocritical for him to stand there and berate me for breaking some asinine made up H&S bollo when he was standing in the middle of the yard and wasn’t wearing a high-vis!
Exit stage left red-faced manager.
:smiley: :smiley:

10

Yeah its annoying. We go to a site where you cant get on the back with the curtains open but they are OK with just the back doors open. I explained that the fall is the same height but they said no one has fallen out of the back but someone fell and died from the side.

Progressive thinking at its best.

11

In fairness to the forklift driver he’s only doing what he’s been told.
I think the H&S rules state if your working more than a mt above ground a fixed barrier or fall arrest system is to be in place.
It’s not about insurance it’s about safety.
You put your seatbelt on don’t you ? And why ?
It’s been proven to save lives that’s why. The same as most things
PREVENTION is better and cheaper than cure.

12

Honked:
Yeah its annoying. We go to a site where you cant get on the back with the curtains open but they are OK with just the back doors open. I explained that the fall is the same height but they said no one has fallen out of the back but someone fell and died from the side.

Progressive thinking at its best.

If your using pump trucks you shoul never be at the edge of the trailer anyway. The only time your near the edge is mounting or de mounting the trailer via a correct means . A built on in ladder or access.

Don’t blame the rule maker blame the numptys that have had the accidents over the years and who are they ■■? Oh yeah us the drivers

13

Honked:
Yeah its annoying. We go to a site where you cant get on the back with the curtains open but they are OK with just the back doors open. I explained that the fall is the same height but they said no one has fallen out of the back but someone fell and died from the side.

Progressive thinking at its best.

If he comes out with that ■■■■■ again, ask him what date it happened so you can look up the H & S report. Guaranteed he won’t give you a date cos he won’t be able to .

14

DadsRetired:

Honked:
Yeah its annoying. We go to a site where you cant get on the back with the curtains open but they are OK with just the back doors open. I explained that the fall is the same height but they said no one has fallen out of the back but someone fell and died from the side.

Progressive thinking at its best.

If he comes out with that [zb] again, ask him what date it happened so you can look up the H & S report. Guaranteed he won’t give you a date cos he won’t be able to .

Ermm…
google.co.uk/amp/www.dailyp … 749181.amp

15

It’s such a load of ■■■■■■■■. So many places are doing this now. It will get to the point where drivers can’t leave the site because we can’t strap loads. There’s a d s smith site where if I know I’m going there I park up before I get in and undo my straps and lengthen to the 2 back ones so I can cross them at the back.

16

I was once informed that I couldn’t strap the load whilst the forkie was loading. His reason “Supposing I come flying round the corner and don’t see you”.

17

I vehemently, with everything in my soul, hate all things health and safety. Bt equally I recognise that the terminally stupid need protecting from themselves, so I grin and bear it, and try not to rip someone’s teeth out when they say its because of health and safety…

18

Too many chiefs…

19

BIG AW:
Wh Malcolms are having the same who arr now not allowing drivers on trls when loading due to some drivers falling and claiming ,they’ve loaded glass for years and the driver gets on the back and threads the rope through the top block of plt now its dangerous !!! but its WHM policy to rope the load that way no the customer they are all being (re trained ) to load from the floor by placing the glass down putting rope through standing back from the flt then when its gone to bring more glass roping up and so on ,going to take at least an hour to load , what a load of bollx

Unless your a shunter and its 1 on the trailer putting the rope through and his mate ties it down.

20

Yet more totally unnecessary H&S bollox. The whole of the UK seems weighed down with this crap, surprised anything ever gets done. Rebuilding a tilt without the aid of a forkie would be a pita, just glad the H&S nazis are not over here. Whatever is it coming to when you cant even stand on the back of your own trailer, what possible harm are you going to come to?? :confused: