OHS GONE MAD

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Originally Posted by OneGoat

I was on a site as a contractor (1 week job) just before Easter. We had an unannounced 1 hour toolbox meeting on how to drive, how to manage fatigue, how to change tyres safely and how to tow a trailer for the Easter break. That one hour of useless waddle into what to do when your not at work cost me 5 hours of lost production which the company wouldn't pay for.


There were around 30 people on site so you can imagine the overall cost and did anyone take any notice? Highly unlikely....

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Couldn't put it down as dayworks / variation - safety shutdown by client (site wide toolbox)?

When I used to approve contractor dayworks payments (work outside the original scope of works), safety toolbox meetings were always paid for, as we're pre-start inspections. So if you were sub-contracting to the principal, it seems like your client (the contractor) has screwed you. If you were contracting to the principal, again, you were screwed...

Next time before you start/accept a contract, make sure there are no exclusions, because when the site wide meetings are mandatory, the client pays, this time can not be excluded from payment, as you are taking directions from management.

I'm not a lawyer, but challenge anyone to justify unpaid attendance at a workplace during rostered work hours (in Australia at least).

Standby rates may be applicable though, but are still payment...

Maybe it's just 'me' being over-sensitive, but...

Recently, a series of unrelated magazine, newspaper, current affairs and News programs have been about 'remote control' and driverless vehicles/machinery up the State's Far North.
- Vision of all sorts of staff, males & females, dressed in reflectorized Hi Vis orange shirts (ALL long-sleeved...) and Nite-work pants, steel toed boots... even some wearing clear safety glasses.

Good practice ? Absolutely! - Clearly visible with lots of approved PPE? - Indeed according to the SOPs' and a zillion other Guidelines...

- As they sit in windowless buildings down here in PERTH... controlling vehicles and machinery a few THOUSAND kms away.:eek::eek::eek:

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Originally Posted by 3toes

Was at dinner with some friends tonight. One of them mentioned a new OHS rule where they work. Can no longer carry a cup of tea or coffee unless it is in an insulated cup with a fixed lid. They have all been issued with the type of coffee cup you use in your car on a journey to keep your drink warm. This is to deal with the potential trip and spill hot liquid danger posed by an open china mug. There have not been any such instances in the company living memory.

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Maybe the person who brought that one in couldn't afford a travel mug of their own? ;P

This is only going to get worse as we follow the US style of litigate over anything; coupled with skyrocketing insurance premiums and the push for some large companies to self insure.
We went through an inspection just recently (its part of why I was asking about the cable reel setups a while back, because my globally acceptable stock standard way of storing electrical cables was no longer adequate to satisfy the safety inspectors who were a prelude to Worksafe coming through annualy and inspecting what we do).

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Originally Posted by Ratel10mm

Maybe the person who brought that one in couldn't afford a travel mug of their own? ;P

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might sound stupid but the lazy SOB"s who spill their coffee all over the floor on the way to their smoko area never clean up their own crap...
We have that rule too

with the inclusion of all these safety vests, eye protection etc, the company can actually get a refund on its insurance that it has paid.

generally every year I have to do a paper work exercise that takes about 2 days and gets us a refund.

(no details because it is work related)

Hay Ewe

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Originally Posted by Ratel10mm

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Originally Posted by 3toes

Was at dinner with some friends tonight. One of them mentioned a new OHS rule where they work. Can no longer carry a cup of tea or coffee unless it is in an insulated cup with a fixed lid. They have all been issued with the type of coffee cup you use in your car on a journey to keep your drink warm. This is to deal with the potential trip and spill hot liquid danger posed by an open china mug. There have not been any such instances in the company living memory.

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Maybe the person who brought that one in couldn't afford a travel mug of their own? ;P

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Not doubting anyone's living memory, but what sort of reporting mechanisms are in the company? How active are they at policing the reporting? And how are the reports collated centrally and reported back the the WHS Committee and to the workers?

Without that sort of reporting and feedback how does anyone know that there hasn't been a scalding related LTI within the company but outside their direct work location.

More than that, is the company self insured or is this a rule mandated by the company that does provide insurance coverage?

WOW.Never thought this thread would get such a responce.As a foreman for a government building company in a former life,i've had a bit of experience with whs.When i started with them i'd had over 35 years in the building industry,and was gobsmacked with the crap we had to go through.To climb a ladder,fill out a work method statement!Some of the ten minute jobs we were given took more than an hour because of wh&s.Yes we need safety rules to avoid tradgedies,but like everything it has gone too far.Son in law works as a specialist welder,was on a site.Two weeks later was to go back to same site,had to do another four hour site induction!Daughter works as a GIS officer on a western qld gas field.Never leaves the office yet must wear steel cap boots.Years ago before we did anything risky we thought about it and made sure we were careful.Still have all my fingers and toes,never fell off a roof.Now you can't sneeze without a WMS or a RISK ASSESMENT.By the way,get IDIOCRACY out,thats where we are heading.:p

the most disheartening thing about it is that it's not all about the safety. Its arse covering...

We've also been told that travel mugs with lids, not open cups, must be used for any drink which is taken out of the staffroom. I think there are two reasons behind this: safety, against injuries caused by hot drinks, and because the cleaners don't like having to clean up drink spills such as coffee on carpet floors.
I don't mind doing this, because my morning coffee stays hot longer in a travel mug.

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