Health and Safety, how's your H&S game?
Discussion
carlo996 said:
It’s got bad press for a good reason. A lot of the people working within it, just go looking for tick boxes.
People call them "the health and safety crowd" as if they're all the same. In my experience (and I was one) it depends largely on their life experience and whether they've done "proper" jobs before. Listening skills don't come to everyone, nor does any degree of pragmatism. many h and s people are book taught only. Six men were killed, at once, in my first workplace in the year I started, with additional fatalities every year I worked there. That left an impression.I work in IT and thankfully am not hounded by the H&S people even if the once-a-year CBT leaves me shaking my head at the lengths of overkill their course pushes on us.
That said, outside of my day job I'm a keen home mechanic, DIYer and engineer, and I take my H&S very seriously. I have an electric chainsaw which is very much less violent than the petrol one I used to own, yet I have full helmet with faceguard and goggles. I always wear safety glasses when using my angle grinder, bench grinder, polisher or any of my drills or pillar drill. I also wear ear plugs a lot. I am very aware at my failing hearing these days and wish to preserve what I have for as long as I can now.
In particular I'm extremely careful about electrical safety. I never used to be and had a number of shocks back then (not sure how I got away with it but I had numerous) however I'm older and feel more mortal these days, so I take the whole scenario very seriously - starting with circuit isolation, and then checking, and finally using only electrical rated tools.
That said, outside of my day job I'm a keen home mechanic, DIYer and engineer, and I take my H&S very seriously. I have an electric chainsaw which is very much less violent than the petrol one I used to own, yet I have full helmet with faceguard and goggles. I always wear safety glasses when using my angle grinder, bench grinder, polisher or any of my drills or pillar drill. I also wear ear plugs a lot. I am very aware at my failing hearing these days and wish to preserve what I have for as long as I can now.
In particular I'm extremely careful about electrical safety. I never used to be and had a number of shocks back then (not sure how I got away with it but I had numerous) however I'm older and feel more mortal these days, so I take the whole scenario very seriously - starting with circuit isolation, and then checking, and finally using only electrical rated tools.
Mars said:
I work in IT and thankfully am not hounded by the H&S people even if the once-a-year CBT leaves me shaking my head at the lengths of overkill their course pushes on us.
That said, outside of my day job I'm a keen home mechanic, DIYer and engineer, and I take my H&S very seriously. I have an electric chainsaw which is very much less violent than the petrol one I used to own, yet I have full helmet with faceguard and goggles. I always wear safety glasses when using my angle grinder, bench grinder, polisher or any of my drills or pillar drill. I also wear ear plugs a lot. I am very aware at my failing hearing these days and wish to preserve what I have for as long as I can now.
In particular I'm extremely careful about electrical safety. I never used to be and had a number of shocks back then (not sure how I got away with it but I had numerous) however I'm older and feel more mortal these days, so I take the whole scenario very seriously - starting with circuit isolation, and then checking, and finally using only electrical rated tools.
It's interesting. Lots of people have talked about H&S at work. Not so many about H&S at home..That said, outside of my day job I'm a keen home mechanic, DIYer and engineer, and I take my H&S very seriously. I have an electric chainsaw which is very much less violent than the petrol one I used to own, yet I have full helmet with faceguard and goggles. I always wear safety glasses when using my angle grinder, bench grinder, polisher or any of my drills or pillar drill. I also wear ear plugs a lot. I am very aware at my failing hearing these days and wish to preserve what I have for as long as I can now.
In particular I'm extremely careful about electrical safety. I never used to be and had a number of shocks back then (not sure how I got away with it but I had numerous) however I'm older and feel more mortal these days, so I take the whole scenario very seriously - starting with circuit isolation, and then checking, and finally using only electrical rated tools.
What makes me shiver in terror is watching some of these reels that popup on FB.
They are usually some back yard manufacturing factory in the indian sub continent knocking out various cheap products. From metal spinning to massive drop forges and presses. Not a bit of safety equipment, guards, fences to be seen anywhere. Just a note saying This Joe knocking out an XYZ fo a tenth of the cost of a western product.
They are usually some back yard manufacturing factory in the indian sub continent knocking out various cheap products. From metal spinning to massive drop forges and presses. Not a bit of safety equipment, guards, fences to be seen anywhere. Just a note saying This Joe knocking out an XYZ fo a tenth of the cost of a western product.
Abbott said:
What makes me shiver in terror is watching some of these reels that popup on FB.
They are usually some back yard manufacturing factory in the indian sub continent knocking out various cheap products. From metal spinning to massive drop forges and presses. Not a bit of safety equipment, guards, fences to be seen anywhere. Just a note saying This Joe knocking out an XYZ fo a tenth of the cost of a western product.
I particularly love the Indian safety-sandals and safety-squint They are usually some back yard manufacturing factory in the indian sub continent knocking out various cheap products. From metal spinning to massive drop forges and presses. Not a bit of safety equipment, guards, fences to be seen anywhere. Just a note saying This Joe knocking out an XYZ fo a tenth of the cost of a western product.
Mars said:
Abbott said:
What makes me shiver in terror is watching some of these reels that popup on FB.
They are usually some back yard manufacturing factory in the indian sub continent knocking out various cheap products. From metal spinning to massive drop forges and presses. Not a bit of safety equipment, guards, fences to be seen anywhere. Just a note saying This Joe knocking out an XYZ fo a tenth of the cost of a western product.
I particularly love the Indian safety-sandals and safety-squint They are usually some back yard manufacturing factory in the indian sub continent knocking out various cheap products. From metal spinning to massive drop forges and presses. Not a bit of safety equipment, guards, fences to be seen anywhere. Just a note saying This Joe knocking out an XYZ fo a tenth of the cost of a western product.
Abbott said:
What makes me shiver in terror is watching some of these reels that popup on FB.
They are usually some back yard manufacturing factory in the indian sub continent knocking out various cheap products. From metal spinning to massive drop forges and presses. Not a bit of safety equipment, guards, fences to be seen anywhere. Just a note saying This Joe knocking out an XYZ fo a tenth of the cost of a western product.
A friend of mine visited a factory in India, and the safety system on a big press that was continually bumping about once every couple of seconds as man A swapped the pressed parts for new ones in rhythm with press. The safety mechanism was man B holding the belt of man A to pull him clear if he got caught.They are usually some back yard manufacturing factory in the indian sub continent knocking out various cheap products. From metal spinning to massive drop forges and presses. Not a bit of safety equipment, guards, fences to be seen anywhere. Just a note saying This Joe knocking out an XYZ fo a tenth of the cost of a western product.
Jammez said:
Poked myself in the eye the other day with the arm of my safety glasses!
I really am a liability!
I know someone who was using a scalpel looking at what he was cutting through a microscope.I really am a liability!
Remove glasses, look through microscope and trim, replace glasses and read instructions before once again removing glasses.
An hour of this repetition and instead of sticking his glasses back on his head he stuck the scalpel into it.
spikeyhead said:
I know someone who was using a scalpel looking at what he was cutting through a microscope.
Remove glasses, look through microscope and trim, replace glasses and read instructions before once again removing glasses.
An hour of this repetition and instead of sticking his glasses back on his head he stuck the scalpel into it.
Someone I knew at university fell asleep while soldering. His head flopped down and he hit the 40-pin chip that was upside down on the desk with his forehead. He had two rows of 0.1" spaced dots for weeks...Remove glasses, look through microscope and trim, replace glasses and read instructions before once again removing glasses.
An hour of this repetition and instead of sticking his glasses back on his head he stuck the scalpel into it.
JMGS4 said:
Yes, gone absolutely bonkers...
I've friends who are archeologists. Imagine sitting in the middle of a field in middle England, miles from nowhere, no diggers or any earth-moving eqpt. within 3 miles, 30°+ heat, excavation depth no more than1 foot, and have to wear... steel capped boots, helmet, full orange reflective jumpsuit, flame retardant naturally, etc etc.... Needless to say heat exhaustion was present...
as well as a busybody H&S twerp who arrived to check on the H&S issues.......
Naturally not bothered at all that 3 people had heat exhaustion.... must abide by the rules as... "Rules Is Rules" F'ing idiocy!!!!
Years ago I worked for a Hydraulics company that had a bit of a quality issue at JCB. I've friends who are archeologists. Imagine sitting in the middle of a field in middle England, miles from nowhere, no diggers or any earth-moving eqpt. within 3 miles, 30°+ heat, excavation depth no more than1 foot, and have to wear... steel capped boots, helmet, full orange reflective jumpsuit, flame retardant naturally, etc etc.... Needless to say heat exhaustion was present...
as well as a busybody H&S twerp who arrived to check on the H&S issues.......
Naturally not bothered at all that 3 people had heat exhaustion.... must abide by the rules as... "Rules Is Rules" F'ing idiocy!!!!
Service engineer, quality manger and another guy had to go and check every digger in the compound.
On a hit summers day, they had to climb into the cab, check the operation of the levers controlling the rams.
Service engineer passed out from heat exhaustion.
First aider, called. Moved to sick Bay for the rest of the day, whilst the other 2 carried on. Paperwork sent to quality manager about the incident the next day.
One problem with H&S is the almost universal use of the bog standard hard hat, which is fine if the primary hazard is a tree surgeon dropping a branch on you, a scaffolder dropping his spanner, or walking into the end of a steel girder. In most cases though, when working under the car, or navigating your way through a complex wooden attic structure, a close fitting bump cap is far more useful and appropriate. I only discovered their existence by googling 'conformal hard hat'.
How many people here actually have one though?
I expect under the car, even the peak would get in the way.
How many people here actually have one though?
I expect under the car, even the peak would get in the way.
Edited by GliderRider on Wednesday 1st May 00:11
GliderRider said:
One problem with H&S is the almost universal use of the bog standard hard hat, which is fine if the primary hazard is a tree surgeon dropping a branch on you, a scaffolder dropping his spanner, or walking into the end of a steel girder. In most cases though, when working under the car, or navigating your way through a complex wooden attic structure, a close fitting bump cap is far more useful and appropriate. I only discovered their existence by googling 'conformal hard hat'.
How many people here actually have one though?
I expect under the car, even the peak would get in the way.
We're given them at work, no one wears them. I don't because moving around an engine room is hazardous enough without making my head much larger than my spatial awareness thinks it is; with a hat on I bump into things, without I mostly don't.How many people here actually have one though?
I expect under the car, even the peak would get in the way.
Edited by GliderRider on Wednesday 1st May 00:11
GliderRider said:
One problem with H&S is the almost universal use of the bog standard hard hat, which is fine if the primary hazard is a tree surgeon dropping a branch on you, a scaffolder dropping his spanner, or walking into the end of a steel girder. In most cases though, when working under the car, or navigating your way through a complex wooden attic structure, a close fitting bump cap is far more useful and appropriate. I only discovered their existence by googling 'conformal hard hat'.
How many people here actually have one though?
I expect under the car, even the peak would get in the way.
I have one. Bought it after a particularly nasty gash getting stuff out of the loft void. Use it for most car repairs, going into the loft and packing the car for camping. How many people here actually have one though?
I expect under the car, even the peak would get in the way.
Edited by GliderRider on Wednesday 1st May 00:11
First came across them at Rolls Royce Civil Engines, used by all the assembly staff.
Where I work now, (Truck Assembly Plant in Lancashire) many of the Assembly staff wear them. Plus maintenance staff.
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