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General Plumbing and Gasfitting Talk => Plumbing => Topic started by: Enn on November 12, 2017, 09:34:25 PM

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Title: Health & Safety
Post by: Enn on November 12, 2017, 09:34:25 PM
just wondering if there are any comments on how the act has changed your workplace?
 Having now worked for one large employer who's Health & safety was work in progress. and a smaller firm quite proactive and looking at other trades and how they operate that there are quite a few differing takes to how to meet compliance. some funny some just stupid some make it more of a hazzard.
I know the taken  on Take 5 , JSA , Sign in, ring the help desk,induction,security clearance, set up cones, signs, secure this secure that, Do Job, reverse order sign out blah blah must add up to a fair bit.

I don't know if this system will make us safer or more stupid , more the later perhaps.
Title: Re: Health & Safety
Post by: Watchdog on November 13, 2017, 06:39:23 AM
OSH legislation is going to cost lives. Too much emphasis is being put on covering everyone's arse with bureaucracy that the real purpose of OSH is being forgotten.

It's costing small business too much money and work as well. The latest garbage is the Pre-Qual where you pay a third party to rate your OSH processes and procedures so a main contractor will give you work.  I'm so sick of it all that I recently told a large contractor to get stuffed I wasn't going to pay for a qualification just to get work. To me its the same corrupt action as extortion. The law requires me to have processes and procedures in place not the whims of organisations trying to cover their arse if something goes wrong.

We recently looked at a roofing repair job. $1,800 for the repairs, over $7,000 for edge protection.  What ever happened to using common sense.

Another piece of legislation that people will get sick of and walk away from their choosen professions because their jobs will no longer be viable. How does all this work on OSH keep the price of housing down?
Title: Re: Health & Safety
Post by: robbo on November 13, 2017, 10:44:11 AM
hi guys, Watchdog as far as i am aware there is no legal requirement for scaffolding on new houses or edge protection/safety nets or even wearing hi vis clothing, it is a requirement set up as a disclaimer by companies or main  contractor in case something goes wrong and they finish up in court, cheers   
Title: Re: Health & Safety
Post by: Watchdog on November 13, 2017, 11:27:53 AM
Hi Robbo  The legal requirement is out of the "Fish and Chip Act" being "TAKE ALL REASONABLE STEPS TO......." . What is reasonable to a bureaucrat probably won't be reasonable to me as a trades person. Ask them for a definition and you get a reply that its up to the courts to decide what is all reasonable steps based on the circumstances. To me its all bullshit. If legislation is not easy to understand then it is poor legislation. 
Title: Re: Health & Safety
Post by: robbo on November 13, 2017, 01:16:25 PM
yeah Watchdog (TAKE ALL REASONABLE STEPS) could mean being really careful but all parties are making sure they are not responsible if problems occur. Successive governments have shed all responsibility for anything by appointing Boards other groups to set the rules for us all so when the brown stuff hits the fan they take the blame and are reprimanded or sacked (just like our board was sacked by Michael Cullen for wasting a lot of money that should have been used for training). The whole setup makes a mockery of the `No Blame A.C.C. system`. Working in the construction industry involves a lot of dangerous work which is managed as well as can be expected at all times but miscalculations/accidents will happen from time to time and no amount of rules and regulations imposed by overzealous bureaucrats will change that.
  Anything that can happen will happen it is just a matter of time, cheers         
Title: Re: Health & Safety
Post by: Enn on November 13, 2017, 05:28:45 PM
 It seem to be Cover Arse Retain Employment, all CARE aye.

I find it rather ludicrous that that after having a demo on how to secure pipes and ladders to the roof of the van, store solvent and such like in the new approved dangerous goods container, it goes on and on and on and sign that I have been trained and understand the procedure that I get sent off on a job in the wops by myself to remove and replace a 270 litre hot water cylinder by myself.
try heaving a water logged cylinder around aye.

I then get a gradual process injury (tennis elbow) and get told by ACC that it is old age related and suck it up... keep working and endure it. I then watch the apprentice on ACC for 4+ months due to a sporting injury. Im not knocking him but jeeze.

Then im cleaning flues on 2 houses watching 4 able bodied guys farking about with a crappy ford ute drinking beer before they go white baiting  while the next door thugs are pissing up enjoying the sun sharing a ciggerette between themselves. it must be a hard life doing nothing aye.

I will have to work harder so I can give these fellas a better standard of living, no wonder I am getting to the point where I just want to throw it all in and go live in a punga hut in the scrub or maybe an electrode applied to each temple and flick the switch,Viola no more worries.
Note health and safety content in the first paragraph. ;D


Title: Re: Health & Safety
Post by: robbo on November 13, 2017, 09:23:37 PM
hi guys, Enn i plus many others hear what you are saying, chuck it in and go work for Noel Leeming where you might get a paper cut or back strain, the health and safety rules have made a mockery of the construction industry, cheers
Title: Re: Health & Safety
Post by: Enn on November 14, 2017, 06:40:10 AM
When the minimum wage goes to $20 an hour it will be an attractive option robbo.
what is a qualified licenced tradesman going to be worth then??
Title: Re: Health & Safety
Post by: robbo on November 14, 2017, 10:50:19 AM
hi guys,Enn you say(what is a qualified licenced tradesman going to be worth) when minimum wage is $20, yes your `unlicensed under supervision`will be doing all the work on minimal wage supervised by a couple of MUGS who will take responsibility for their work, ``Great system eh``.Bosses who own the businesses will go bankrupt when problems arise and leave the certifier up the creek, cheers
Title: Re: Health & Safety
Post by: Enn on November 14, 2017, 06:10:54 PM
It all comes down to liability, at the end of the day.
And who's going to carry the can. Nah she will be alright, till some thing happens, I understand the  recent water supply contamination in havelock affected people  in the thousands. Ignorance is no excuse under law.
 So how do you or who do you stick that one on?
 if you were say investigated and found potentialy culpable then you need your paper work done, boxes ticked, all ticketty boo and ready for intense scrutiny.... I imagine it would make an Inland Revenue G.S.T audit  a doddle...

 I would like to see industry work with policy in a more dominant role to create sensible safety- results based.
Title: Re: Health & Safety
Post by: Wal on November 15, 2017, 06:11:13 AM
Hi Enn.

This is the exact reason the Federation is pushing for the formation of a Governance Board/Committee to take on these issues on behalf of the industry.  There is so much that could be done but the influence of money seems to take over. Now that we have a new Minister it is the ideal time to push for a governance group.
Title: Re: Health & Safety
Post by: Enn on November 16, 2017, 05:19:32 PM
Good on the Fed and you wal & others. I remember the toilet sit in at Wgtn.

I also remember the golden rule, ''whosoever has the gold makes the rules''
I doubt that will change very much.

Thank gawd its Friday tomorrow, a good weekend to all.
Title: Re: Health & Safety
Post by: plumbingheatingcooling on May 01, 2018, 07:11:16 PM
Safety is an indispensable thing for the plumbers or construction workers as well as health. In order to provide better service to their customers.
Title: Re: Health & Safety
Post by: robbo on May 12, 2018, 02:39:36 PM
(Safety is an indispensable thing for the plumbers or construction workers as well as health. In order to provide better service to their customers) it always was and now a source of income for swags of ticket clippers who are only in danger of `paper cuts`
cheers
Title: Re: Health & Safety
Post by: Enn on May 27, 2018, 12:05:57 AM
Well said Robbo, I am reminded every day as i do a ''take 5''  & send a copy to the operations officer and CC in  the H&SE dept before changing a tap washer or any job.I dont really do much different than I always used to except the Paper work.

 I try to keep my   dairy as accurate as possible as it will be the day you get slack about filling in legible detail about a job or whatever, as that will be the day you might really need to recall in utter clarity what you did where and at what time.

A local builder is going to court  here soon to be sentenced for The death employee on his job site.
I don't know any thing else except he has already admitted guilty and awaits to be sentenced.
I hope hes not used as an example, we shall see.

I doubt the act will do much to reduce  real accidents in the workplace and not random stupidity.
If anything we shall have a new better stupid!