19.08.2016
Dodgy London lift
On a construction site in London, UK today the supposedly safety conscious contractor chose a short cut for a lift, rather than take a few minutes to get the correct equipment.
It seems that the crane operator rightly insisted on the correct equipment being used to lift pallets of breeze blocks. The contractor however decided that this would take too long, as would bringing over a telehandler. So instead dodgy lifting equipment was cobbled together and an excavator used. In the words of our correspondent:
“So this story is from a job in London, not Africa or India but from London England, the crane operator was asked to move 2 pallets of breeze blocks, the crane operator did not refuse to lift them but did ask for a set of pallet forks and a net for the crane, the site wasn't happy with this, as that would take time, almost 5 minutes in reality,. So instead of going for that option the site decided there was the better way forward for this lift by using an excavator, two scaffold tubes that I don't think are certified lifting equipment, and at best two really worn out slings. The best thing is they obviously thought, hey **** it we are going to do a dodgy lift so let's make things even worse and just wrap the slings around the quick hitch to save another 10 seconds, instead of using a shackle, just a reminder this is London in England not India or Africa. And what more there's no bloody Tagline.”
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Dodgy lifting in London - not exactly the tidiest site either
The blocks could easily have fallen onto those guiding the lift, but more important if pallets of blocks were being used on site, the appropriate handling equipment should have been available. But almost worse than this is the hypocrisy, even some of the larger contractors will insist on a forest of paperwork and qualification cards for cranes and operators coming onto site – insist they spend half a day on inductions, and apply for national safety awards, and yet cut corners like this within the site due to time pressures. We will pop this one in our Death Wish series.
I agree entirely with your correspondent's comments. Whilst the excavator operator will be probably in receipt of either a CPCS or NPORS "ticket" for the 360 and lifting duties module and the coveted joke titled, 1 x day EWPA NVQ, he/she will still have to follow the instruction of this hapless contractor or risk losing his/her job. It's not just London that you'll witness this bad practice it's commonplace throughout the UK. Pound to a penny the site office will be knee deep in risk assessments and method statements and the canteen walls festooned with allegiance to the mass registration scheme titled CSCS..! BuildUK need to get their backsides out onto their sites and start firing a few sub contractors. Word will soon get around.
PS: Well done to the crane operator who allegedly refused the lift.
Red
So, leave your safety gear behind, go to work and be "sensible " and "pragmatic" ?! Why increase the odds of getting hurt or injured ? I know it's inconvenient, but just ask the wife of a man who lost an eye for lack of safety glasses and get her opinion. I know the public can do "absolutely anything". But remember - we are the experts. The dedicated tradesmen/craftsmen who know better. Will you teach your son to go on a job without safety gear and just be "sensible" ? I hope not.
AccessibL
You never know... Much as I was against it, Brexit might let us be a bit more pragmatic and, well, just sensible about things. I'm not suggesting we all act like The Fall Guy (remember the Six Million Dollar Man?) but, hey... can we leave a bit of dressing-up gear behind and use our personal resources and abilities as nature evolved it? We don't need silly glasses we can't see properly through just for the sake of it. Nature has attuned our hands to be skillful at what we do (for the most part; I have no bragging rights!) yet we are told to blanket them with gloves. Even the colour of your clown gear is important to someone! From my own recent experience, you can mix with the public (who can do anything, like ABSOLUTELY ANYTHING they fancy doing, and you are obliged to be alongside them, dressed like a..., well, I dunno, an alien or spaceman, really. Goggles on. When the railway is in force, there is A MAN who you need on your side. Some are good. Most are good, actually. BUT not all.
Red
" The more things change, the more they stay the same....... "