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So has anybody in the construction work, been ask to leave the site from the safety manager? If so what stupid reason?
Me and my boss got kicked off site today over the most idiot thing.. One my boss safety glasses broke, so he was about to go back to the office and get a new pair. Just so happen the safety officer seen him without them and told him to leave the site immediately and not to come back.We try to explain to him that his glasses just broke and he was about to go get another pair. So he just laugh in his face and said he will have a talk with the GC when he gets back to the office. Hour later, he comes and finds me, asking me to leave, over the short description on the checking paperwork. The question was, what are our plans for today? I just put in simple terms.. Labeling and testing security buttons. And the next one was what is the steps you are doing.. I put Pressing the button. What hazards can you identify for this job? Hand cramp for pushing button.. I guess that was made him mad.... My co-worker died laughing when he read it. So was told to get all our crew off site and not to come back till monday and bring our boss. My response was, you just sent my boss home, so now you want him back? So had to call my boss to let him know we been ask to leave till monday and he wants to have a meeting with all of us. Now were having drinks and laughing at this joker who is taking his power struggle way to far.. So what do you guys got that made your safety officer mad?
I tied off my D ring to the top rail of the scissor lift. I've gotten in arguments about this multiple times but never sent home. I guess I can't help myself. I'm OSHA 10 and OSHA 30 certified. They always pull the "well it's our company policy" BS.
For those that don't know, body harnesses and tie offs on a scissor lift is overkill. The rails actually fulfill the requirement of "fall protection" so long as you keep your feet planted on the floor and don't climb the rails. Scissor lifts are actually considered mobile scaffolds and OSHA does not require a harness on them like they do boom lifts.
What's my beef with body harnesses? I understand when there is a time and place to use them, but considering they put a lot of downward pressure on your shoulders and therefore your spine, they are very uncomfortable to wear all day. I'd love to see management go about their day wearing a harness.
I know safety guys can be real a$$holes, but there are ways to fill out those forms that wouldn't aggravate them so much. "Be mindful of trip hazards, or other trades working over head". It's just part of the game. I'll write dumb stuff all day and not complain, but I will definitely complain about wearing a harness on a scissor lift.
So has anybody in the construction work, been ask to leave the site from the safety manager? If so what stupid reason?
Me and my boss got kicked off site today over the most idiot thing.. One my boss safety glasses broke, so he was about to go back to the office and get a new pair. Just so happen the safety officer seen him without them and told him to leave the site immediately and not to come back.We try to explain to him that his glasses just broke and he was about to go get another pair. So he just laugh in his face and said he will have a talk with the GC when he gets back to the office. Hour later, he comes and finds me, asking me to leave, over the short description on the checking paperwork. The question was, what are our plans for today? I just put in simple terms.. Labeling and testing security buttons. And the next one was what is the steps you are doing.. I put Pressing the button. What hazards can you identify for this job? Hand cramp for pushing button.. I guess that was made him mad.... My co-worker died laughing when he read it. So was told to get all our crew off site and not to come back till monday and bring our boss. My response was, you just sent my boss home, so now you want him back? So had to call my boss to let him know we been ask to leave till monday and he wants to have a meeting with all of us. Now were having drinks and laughing at this joker who is taking his power struggle way to far.. So what do you guys got that made your safety officer mad?
Not quite sure I understood all of this, but my impression is that your comments and your answers on the form sounded sarcastic and insulting. And, listening to the way you described it, probably was. The work safety culture in the USA these days seems to go overboard, but as soon as there's an industrial accident that maims people or hits the evening news it isn't so funny. Safety officers, supervisors, managers, and employees get fired all the time over them. A safety officer's job can be thankless. If they don't act accidents happen. If they do act people ridicule them. A company's liability insurance goes up because of them too and more people lose their jobs. Making it into a joke doesn't help. Toe the line, do what they want you to do until you can prove something isn't necessary. Its not hard...just part of being employed.
I tied off my D ring to the top rail of the scissor lift. I've gotten in arguments about this multiple times but never sent home. I guess I can't help myself. I'm OSHA 10 and OSHA 30 certified. They always pull the "well it's our company policy" BS.
For those that don't know, body harnesses and tie offs on a scissor lift is overkill. The rails actually fulfill the requirement of "fall protection" so long as you keep your feet planted on the floor and don't climb the rails. Scissor lifts are actually considered mobile scaffolds and OSHA does not require a harness on them like they do boom lifts.
What's my beef with body harnesses? I understand when there is a time and place to use them, but considering they put a lot of downward pressure on your shoulders and therefore your spine, they are very uncomfortable to wear all day. I'd love to see management go about their day wearing a harness.
I know safety guys can be real a$$holes, but there are ways to fill out those forms that wouldn't aggravate them so much. "Be mindful of trip hazards, or other trades working over head". It's just part of the game. I'll write dumb stuff all day and not complain, but I will definitely complain about wearing a harness on a scissor lift.
Yea, i been told that i need to tie off and wear a harness many times. I just laugh at them and continue on to work.. and for giggles, ill even stretch on the 2nd rail to prove a point. They want me to lower the lift before i move it instead of just moving it while in the air.. I have a spotter no matter what, but they force me to waist 30 secs each time i need to move cost them about 4 hours of work each week.
Yea, i been told that i need to tie off and wear a harness many times. I just laugh at them and continue on to work.. and for giggles, ill even stretch on the 2nd rail to prove a point. They want me to lower the lift before i move it instead of just moving it while in the air.. I have a spotter no matter what, but they force me to waist 30 secs each time i need to move cost them about 4 hours of work each week.
And I would fire you, and your boss, in a heartbeat!
I love projects where they go way overboard on safety stuff.
Usually they are very large billion dollar companies and they will sometimes go overboard on safety requirements but I love, love, love it when they do!
There is one where we have to spend several thousands of dollars every year simply to join an organization that accredits companies for safety. A couple of them are simply insane to the point where at one plant we do work at we are the only company that does our type of work allowed in their plant for a 200 mile radius.
When we work for them we are 200% safety all the time to where we go overboard because there is money, lots of money, in them there regulations. Oh yes there is!
I might work up a project ending at a selling price of $100,000 and if it is safety wacko, like I said we have a couple of them, I'll add in an extra $30,000 just for the safety of it all. On small projects I've actually tripled the price.
Absolutely never any ladder work where you go higher than the second step of a 5' ladder.... we will rent a lift and they will pay for it. I don't care how much it costs.
Harnesses for lifts? Top of the line new ones that we purchase in conjunction with the company safety manager... I don't care what it costs because in the end we are not paying for it, they are and they are gonna get what they pay for.
Small job might require a 10' OSHA ladder (there are no other kinds of ladders) but rather than take a chance of a ladder I'll rent a man lift for the day and if it costs me an extra $1,000 for delivery, pickup and day rent I don't care. That job will be done in a safe manner absolutely never an exception.
And then it is us as well. We have never had a loss time accident and that means a lot of money savings on insurance in an industry where workers compensation insurance can be rather on the high side and in 10% of wages. $800,000 in annual wages would you rather pay 10% or 3% for workers compensation insurance? Exactly right, you get hurt working for me you could easily end up costing me $50,000 a year for the next ten years! I get mad just thinking about that because I work hard for that $50,000 and your stupidity isn't going to take it from me.
We have safety meetings every week, you don't sign you don't get your paycheck either, along with OSHA training every year. On top of this all employees are first aid trained and I do mean ALL employees.
Yea, i been told that i need to tie off and wear a harness many times. I just laugh at them and continue on to work.. and for giggles, ill even stretch on the 2nd rail to prove a point. They want me to lower the lift before i move it instead of just moving it while in the air.. I have a spotter no matter what, but they force me to waist 30 secs each time i need to move cost them about 4 hours of work each week.
You and the company you work for would be off our job sites that day.
Quote:
Originally Posted by nicet4
And I would fire you, and your boss, in a heartbeat!
I love projects where they go way overboard on safety stuff.
Usually they are very large billion dollar companies and they will sometimes go overboard on safety requirements but I love, love, love it when they do!
There is one where we have to spend several thousands of dollars every year simply to join an organization that accredits companies for safety. A couple of them are simply insane to the point where at one plant we do work at we are the only company that does our type of work allowed in their plant for a 200 mile radius.
When we work for them we are 200% safety all the time to where we go overboard because there is money, lots of money, in them there regulations. Oh yes there is!
I might work up a project ending at a selling price of $100,000 and if it is safety wacko, like I said we have a couple of them, I'll add in an extra $30,000 just for the safety of it all. On small projects I've actually tripled the price.
Absolutely never any ladder work where you go higher than the second step of a 5' ladder.... we will rent a lift and they will pay for it. I don't care how much it costs.
Harnesses for lifts? Top of the line new ones that we purchase in conjunction with the company safety manager... I don't care what it costs because in the end we are not paying for it, they are and they are gonna get what they pay for.
Small job might require a 10' OSHA ladder (there are no other kinds of ladders) but rather than take a chance of a ladder I'll rent a man lift for the day and if it costs me an extra $1,000 for delivery, pickup and day rent I don't care. That job will be done in a safe manner absolutely never an exception.
And then it is us as well. We have never had a loss time accident and that means a lot of money savings on insurance in an industry where workers compensation insurance can be rather on the high side and in 10% of wages. $800,000 in annual wages would you rather pay 10% or 3% for workers compensation insurance? Exactly right, you get hurt working for me you could easily end up costing me $50,000 a year for the next ten years! I get mad just thinking about that because I work hard for that $50,000 and your stupidity isn't going to take it from me.
We have safety meetings every week, you don't sign you don't get your paycheck either, along with OSHA training every year. On top of this all employees are first aid trained and I do mean ALL employees.
We make real good money off safety.
You go right on getting lifts and being 200%. I know they cost money, but even one accident costs a whole lot more. We had one a few weeks ago in one of our facilities. Fortunately no one was hurt, but the physical damage is heading toward $50 million. That will pay for a lot of safety. The day I checked in where I work, a man was killed falling through a roof opening. Carrying something, just stepped through the hole. We've had others killed, some in horrible ways. The OP can make fun of safety all he wants, but I'd much rather him go home at the end of the day than have to tell his wife/kids daddy isn't coming home.
Yea, i been told that i need to tie off and wear a harness many times. I just laugh at them and continue on to work.. and for giggles, ill even stretch on the 2nd rail to prove a point. They want me to lower the lift before i move it instead of just moving it while in the air.. I have a spotter no matter what, but they force me to waist 30 secs each time i need to move cost them about 4 hours of work each week.
I don't understand what point you're proving standing on the 2nd rail. What I'm referring to is well within OSHA regulations and what the scissor lift was designed for, no harness is necessary so long as the rails are intact and you keep your feet on the floor, that means not even resting your foot on the kickboard.
Again, my beef with the harness is that it's terrible for ergonomics and therefore my health and posture. I spend a lot of time in the gym trying to correct for 8-10 hours of being hunched over, or restricted when trying to reach. I still do it, but I do so under protest, and make sure that management isn't making their decision out of ignorance. A harness in a boom lift is not overkill, it doesn't take much to catapult somebody out of one of those.
What you're suggesting OSHA would fine your employer for, and maybe the general contractor. And whatever pennies you saved in productivity, they will lose X1000 (probably much more) in fines and loss productivity for an investigation and lost future business.
If you and your employer will not play by the rules they will find somebody that will and you can do the math to explain how much profit that will cost you.
If it's a quoted job, then your employer needs to increase his bid to account for additional time it takes to comply with the safety regulations. If he only got the bid because he was the cheapest and he's relying on you guys to cut corners he won't be in business very long.
You go right on getting lifts and being 200%. I know they cost money, but even one accident costs a whole lot more. We had one a few weeks ago in one of our facilities. Fortunately no one was hurt, but the physical damage is heading toward $50 million. That will pay for a lot of safety. The day I checked in where I work, a man was killed falling through a roof opening. Carrying something, just stepped through the hole. We've had others killed, some in horrible ways. The OP can make fun of safety all he wants, but I'd much rather him go home at the end of the day than have to tell his wife/kids daddy isn't coming home.
A friend of mine owned a construction company and one of his workers fell off a roof.
This friend was safety minded, they had a good reputation and all but it was just one of those things that happen because safety got pushed back from job #1.
The worker wasn't killed he "crushed" the heel of his foot and couldn't work for years. My friend told me it would have been better for the company financially if the worker had been killed outright. I am willing to bet the company had am $8 million a year payroll so add 8% of that together for 20 years and we be talking some serious money.
And no, my friend is a decent and honorable man and was not wishing the employee had been killed... just pointing out there are real costs involved when it comes to safety.
Ohio has statutory workers compensation. No private insurance everyone purchases workers comp through the state Bureau of Workers Compensation.
There are no limits.... you don't purchase insurance that has a $1 million or $5 million cap.. this insurance just goes on and on and on forever. And, unlike private insurance carriers, the state will fight for the worker if he was injured on the job.
You get a rating... have an accident and your rate will go though the roof and the rating is visible to anyone who wants to see it. Some larger companies, yours is one of them I am sure, cut companies out from bidding work or being on the property if the rate gets above a certain limit for the trade.
I have seen competitors drive up to the gate and not be allowed inside the grounds due to their poor safety record. They can bid a job for $1 while we are at $100,000 and they still won't get it because of their poor safety record. They can offer to do it for free and they won't get it.
I care about the safety of our workers more than money but another way to look at it is safety is money and don't you dare screw around with my money!
Yea, i been told that i need to tie off and wear a harness many times. I just laugh at them and continue on to work.. and for giggles, ill even stretch on the 2nd rail to prove a point. They want me to lower the lift before i move it instead of just moving it while in the air.. I have a spotter no matter what, but they force me to waist 30 secs each time i need to move cost them about 4 hours of work each week.
Quote:
Originally Posted by nicet4
And I would fire you, and your boss, in a heartbeat!
Agreed. You would be tossed off one of my jobsites in a heartbeat.
There is an old saying about pilots that also applies in construction. There are old pilots, and there are bold pilots. There are no old, bold pilots.
... I just laugh at them and continue on to work...
Quote:
Originally Posted by hitpausebutton2
...Hour later, he comes and finds me, asking me to leave, over the short description on the checking paperwork.
You sound like you enjoy living on the edge. How is it working for you?
It is a job. They pay you. Just follow what they want you to do. I feel some Employees make working so much harder than it has to be.
Or just go self-employed and you can do whatever you want.
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You sound like you enjoy living on the edge. How is it working for you?
