We all know H&S is taken a bit over the top sometimes; I was told off a few years ago for not having a lid on my cup of tea whilst walking across a company’s yard, a few steps from their kitchen to my truck, in case I scalded myself. But when you see old working photos of cranes, ships, lorries, fork-trucks etc. it seems wrong that there’s not a hard-hat or hi-vis jacket to be seen. Up till about fifteen or twenty years ago you could wear whatever you liked. Here’s a couple of photos that would give an HSO a sleepless night. Cheers Haddy.
This would be some time in 1930 as they joined the two main sections (one from North Sydney, one from Circular Quay), the section they’re working on isn’t the highest part of the bridge but it’s still well over 100m (330ft) above the harbour. Built by Dorman Long & Co of Middlesborough, almost 80% of the steel imported from Britain.
This would be some time in 1930 as they joined the two main sections (one from North Sydney, one from Circular Quay), the section they’re working on isn’t the highest part of the bridge but it’s still well over 100m (330ft) above the harbour. Built by Dorman Long & Co of Middlesborough, almost 80% of the steel imported from Britain.
The museum at the base of the south side is well worth a visit, it has loads of info about the planning and building of the bridge and there is a great view from the south tower.
Chains are tightened by safer means nowadays, the old fashioned spring “toggles” have been outlawed but were widely used for many years. I,like most other people, would use piece of scaffold pole over the handle just to get the chain that extra link tighter. Not too bad when securing a load on a trailer but bending over them to secure a trailer or truck to the ships deck is out and out dangerous. Several people have been seriously hurt doing this.
The ratchet “bottle screws” now in use are much safer but take three times longer to apply plus they take up a lot of room in your tackle box. We were issued with eight of them, plus eight short and four long chains. For lighter equipment we also carried fourteen span-sets, no room to spare in the tackle box. Regards to all Haddy Gt.Yarmouth.
Most of the above posts are about practices which were considered acceptable in the old days. Mostly, commonsense kept things safe.
Even with the procedures we have nowadays, there are still cowboys who think they are cleverer than the system, cutting corners with alacrity. I have witnessed, this year, idiots loading a tipper with a clamshell bucket on the lorry-mounted crane… with pedestrians walking freely along the pavement under the crane. This is nothing compared to the moron I saw using a lorry-mounted crane to lift 8x4 sheets up to a 2nd floor window, over a pavement, using a pallet-fork pillar hanging from the hook. The sheets were not secured to the pallet forks and the hook saddle was free to slide along the upper horizontal member of the pillar attachment. One gust of wind or an unintentional jerk on the crane controls, and the people sitting outside the cafe below would have had an unrequested side-order of plywood. I should have photographed this and sent the pics to the authorities, but I did not bother (I was abroad, and I don’t know what they call the HSE in foreignland, so it would have been a detective job to find them). I would not have felt any guilt if the man responsible for it had lost his job.
about 12 years ago I went to turkey for a holiday and booked a small hotel which was recommended by a mate, the owner gave us his apartment as he was overbooked and when I was showering I noticed a very handy electric socket in the shower cubicle for my electric razor, you could`t make it up. should add it was very cheap so you get what you pay for ,fredm
haddy:
Chains are tightened by safer means nowadays, the old fashioned spring “toggles” have been outlawed but were widely used for many years. I,like most other people, would use piece of scaffold pole over the handle just to get the chain that extra link tighter. Not too bad when securing a load on a trailer but bending over them to secure a trailer or truck to the ships deck is out and out dangerous. Several people have been seriously hurt doing this.
The ratchet “bottle screws” now in use are much safer but take three times longer to apply plus they take up a lot of room in your tackle box. We were issued with eight of them, plus eight short and four long chains. For lighter equipment we also carried fourteen span-sets, no room to spare in the tackle box. Regards to all Haddy Gt.Yarmouth.
Those chain dogs were vicious, me and a mate were loading rsj’s and I noticed he was pulling hard on the dog with a piece of tube, yes it snapped shut and I clearly heard the bone in his finger snap in it ouch !
We were miles from home and out for days, I said I should take him to hospital as his finger was definitely not at all straight, he said he had done it before and it wasn’t a problem, he taped two lollypop sticks to either side of his finger and carried on for the rest of the week !
It made my eyes water looking at it but he never flinched or moaned once about it.
i did not know dogs and chains were now illegal when catnic each driver had about 12 to 15 sets one day on top of trailer on top of load bad load trying to pull it in bang snapped hook of i fell 18 months on sick company really looked after me another day a guy called wyndam richards chaining down dog sprang in the air wedding ring ripped his finger straight out i still feel sick now when i saw that regards rowland
One of the most amazing,non HSE approved jobs I saw,was when we were in Hong Kong for a few days,the scaffolding they use is Bamboo poles fastened with Zip Clips,and wait for it --------the best Scaffolders are Women !! they go right up the side of the Sky scrapers no problem,and when I enquired why they used bamboo poles I was told it was the only gear that would withstand the Hurrican force winds they get in HK,safe as houses they reckoned,there was only the odd Scaffolder fell off,no big deal they said !! Cheers Bewick.
Are you sure the old-style “dogs” have been outlawed, Haddy? There are firms in my area still using them. The length of tube was an invaluable part of my kit, also useful for threatening one particularly idiotic customer I had!
In the late 60s early 70s occasionally loaded sherry barrels in Shoreham Harbour for Glasgow bottom row stood on end and three rows on the the roll, And was it hairy trying to stand on them as you man handled them of the forks and then sheeting them, No H&S would have went mental. Eddie.
erfguy:
In the late 60s early 70s occasionally loaded sherry barrels in Shoreham Harbour for Glasgow bottom row stood on end and three rows on the the roll, And was it hairy trying to stand on them as you man handled them of the forks and then sheeting them, No H&S would have went mental. Eddie.
The term used for those sort of jobs Eddie was,“accepted practice” and I’ll wager there are just as many “accidents” within “The Logistics” industry nowadays !!But thinking back the transport industry of years ago wasn’t plagued with numerous accidents,was it? Cheers Dennis.
