welfare facilities

[troll]

This thread is where you outline welfare issues (no names/places) that confront you in the field.E-Mail me offline and I will pass them onto my colleague in HS.Examples include:
1. No toilets/one turdis for 600 million incontinent diggers
2. No hot water hand washing facilities
3. No cabins
4. No staff who give a toss

..knowledge without action is insanity and action without knowledge is vanity..(imam ghazali,ayyuhal-walad)

[1man1desk]

Presumably you will only hear from the sites where there is at least one staff member who does give a toss?

Good initiative though.

1man1desk

to let, fully furnished

[troll]

Absolutely sir! The idea is simply to guage the ubiquity (or otherwise) of poor and illegal practises in relation to welfare.I would argue that when caked in pesticide ridden crud, soaking wet and gaggin fer a wee......everyone other than strangely pain=pleasure types will indeed give a toss!

..knowledge without action is insanity and action without knowledge is vanity..(imam ghazali,ayyuhal-walad)

[beamo]

It would be useful to hear from H & S types what they consider to be the legal requirements for welfare facilities on archaeological sites (as opposed to the moral requirements).


Beamo

[mercenary]

Ok I'll start it off.

Current site.

Eval in remote church graveyard. Human remains.

No cabin, tool storage, or hot water for drinks or hand washing. Working out of company cars.

We do amazingly have a portaloo, but it can't be serviced bc it is too far from the road. I hope we are not there long!

The generic risk assessment is safely tucked up in a file in the office.

The brief and WSI are in the same place.

This is not unusual or exceptional in any way and not worth complaining about compared with the really bad sites. And I work for a good company in the overall scheme of things. It's all relative.

[Guest]

Indeed terrible conidtions but far from unusal. A little while ago I viewed a similar cemetery excavation being completed in the depths of winter. Work was being completed as a neighbouring office block was being demolished! Staff were expected to work out antiquited landrover, no hot or cold washing facilities! A toilet shared with demolition contractors, despite their being females on the archaeological staff! Also site works in full view from a public footpath (contray to the conditions of the Home Office Licence)

The work was completed by an RAO. Photos were taken, and case duely reported. However, it is seems that these breaches were/are not serious enough for action to be taken. It seems that health/safety/welfare of staff does not warrent protection!!

Whilst we accept these conditions, companies will continue to skimp and save to maximise their profits! The answer withdraw labour, without staff these companies will be forced to put their houses in order!

Power to the Digger!

[the invisible man]

I would suggest that those valuing the works - consultant if appointed - deducts the value of the "prelims" i.e. site hutty things from the valuation. In short, don't pay for works that are (or are deemed to be) included in the tender/contract sum but not actually provided.

We owe the dead nothing but the truth.

[BAJR Host]

Ah.... mattock.... if only you had also contacted BAJR Hotline.....

I am also sure that the 'breach' was not just ignored.... if you can give me details off list I will look into it for you.



Another day another WSI?

[Guest]

Ah, but as I said I had reported it! I did not state to whom (and it wasn't the IFA). The response I got was very negative, and (indeed) aggressive)suggesting that such conditions were the norm. I was therefore encouraged to put my head back down below the parapet.

The reason I speak up again is because of the current thread in which it seems such conditions are not normal or right!

All in all, it really doesn't encourage me to report further cases of mispractice!

[troll]

Unfortunately, this seems to be the current climate in which we spend much of our working lives. With little or no job security and surviving on short-term contracts we are then expected to overlook certain standards of care expected and provided in parallel industries.Often only a short distance from revving machinery and the spectre of a ticking clock.Our industry does`nt welcome constructive criticism when it should and this nurtures a culture of quiet resent.Open but general discussion has to be the way forwards....

An ex-colleague of mine is a HS professional, I will ask if he can point us in the right direction-just what are the welfare standards and how can we promote a work environment that meets the minimum at least? Anyone?

..knowledge without action is insanity and action without knowledge is vanity..(imam ghazali,ayyuhal-walad)