3rd November 2005, 03:16 PM
I just picked up a job offer from Ireland and am told that I require a safe pass. Would I be able to get one of these here in England?? Anyone who has worked in the Emerald Isle and has any information on these, I would welcome your input. Thanks guys.
Penfold
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3rd November 2005, 03:26 PM
A Safe Pass is a mandatory construction industry health and safety qualification. A training scheme called Fas run it over here, and it's a whole can of worms!
http://www.fas.ie/environmental_training...epass.html is the place to go. It costs in and around ?100, depending on where in the country you do it, and whether or not the venue will provide lunch.
At first, most of the companies paid the cost, however, I do not believe that any do anymore. It's also possible that you may have to do the course on a weekday, thus missing a day's work.
The course consists of a FAS registered health & Saftey trainer talking for about 6 hours on a range of general H&S issues on contrustion sites, from how to lift safely, build scaffolding, observe the huge great dumper truck that doesn't see you, to your and your employers legal rights and obligations. Very little is relevant to archaeology, but to walk onto any construction site in ireland you need it. And if you're working on the roads you will be forced to get it. You'll probably get a few weeks grace to sort it out though!
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3rd November 2005, 03:27 PM
Oh and at the end you do a multiple choice quiz, where you've to get 35 out of 40 questions right, and something in the region of 10 people out 250,000 have ever failed it!
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3rd November 2005, 07:36 PM
Disheartened
Thanks for your time and information mate. Nice too hear I may get some grace to get it, need to get back too work ASAP
But first a weekend on the lash in Dublin at least
Cheers again
Penfold
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4th November 2005, 05:30 PM
I also got a job offer in Ireland. It cost me some stress to change my plans totally a week before moving to Norwich. I hope that was a right move and next week I will have a safe pass and be on my way to a site.
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4th November 2005, 10:34 PM
Would very much like to see a breakdown/summary/opinion of this hundred euro course guys......many thanking you`s.........
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4th November 2005, 10:55 PM
I got mine cheaper but lunch wasn't provided (I think it was ?80-90). It's a good idea to phone ahead and book the course in advance as many instructors have a waiting list. I heard it was more expensive in Dublin. They need at least a certain number (ten?)people on the course to go ahaead and run it legally so if some people don't show up you could also find yourself having to reschedule. It's aimed at people who can't read or write, or whose first language isn't English so most of it is really boring and tedious as teh instructor basically reads out the manual with the occasional video. It's mostly about building sites and specialist tools that I've never even heard of, all you have to do is retain the information until the end of the day when you do the multiple guess thingy. Fas also takes ages to post you out your card, so get the instructor to write you a letter to say you've passed as you need it when you start work. There are I think similar courses in Scotland in the construction industry as we had some quite bored Scottish fellas on mine who'd just sat through one the week previously.... We were told when they were first brought in that as they have the EU symbol on them that they were valid all over Europe and visa versa, but I have since been told of people from elsewhere in the EU who held their country's equivalent who had to do it again, and I was also told that if Northern Ireland (and UK?) bring in a version I'd have to do that too. However I don't know if this is true or not.
Lucy
