Thread: Aussie salvage Squad, - OH&S compliant????

OH&S oh does that bring back memories.

I was a tradesman in the Print Industry. Anyhoo some of the equipment i used was old and some new. By old i mean real old. Letterpress era stuff.

Anyway one day had a couple of people come into the factory and shut down half of the equipment as it was unsafe.

They wanted us to bring the machines up to a standard of which never existed. Make guards where there was no guards and that sort of thing.

Taking away any function the machine once had.

Basically putting those machines into early retirement despite the equipment functioning as was designed and maintained by engineers from the manufacturer.


Always character building when some pen pushers with no idea about the industry tell you your doing it wrong and you have to fix it.

Sorry for going off topic a bit there Mario. Still relates to the broader discussion i guess.

Mario, the show has succeeded....it got younto watch it, than post up your thoughts about it online, there is a chance other will read your post and track down the show and start watching it.

Your post has worked for me, I wasn’t aware of the show and will now go check it out for myself.

Reality TV going about it’s business....

Re: QLD OH&S, i suspect they are just as strong as all other states......companies complying and the authorities having enough resources to enforce is another thing, cannot have some looking over everybody shoulder all day. It pretty much self managed until their is an accident, yes there are random checks done but no way could they get to every company.

Big Rick about involving your company and having it aired on TV is now the authorities become aware and may drop in for a surprise visit.

Everyday driving around for work I see activities that don’t comply......when my bride used to deliver working at heights training nearly every week I could send her a photo of not best practice so she could update her presentation with recent examples within a 100 kilometers of the training instead of pics that are ripped of the net years ago or from other countries.

Just watched the start of episode 7.....see what you mean, plenary of red flags.....

Good old reality TV, the way they go about it sucks the wider public in, problem is the wider public than copy it.

I watched a couple of early ones and was appalled by their apparent love of doing things the hardest possible way.
Like skull dragging a couple of yachts along a beach when some rollers would have made it easy.
The previously mentioned winch, the use of shackles the wrong way.

I often wondered whether the boss had partaken some ahem substances.

I remember they refloated a sunken boat then destroyed a public wharf with it.

I watched a more recent one where they dragged a pontoon to shore and they did a bit better with that although broke a few winch cables.

Geez they must charge a lot but I suppose the clients don't have much choice if they are told to clear a channel or move shipwrecked boats.

Regards Philip A.

Originally Posted by DAMINK

OH&S oh does that bring back memories.

I was a tradesman in the Print Industry. Anyhoo some of the equipment i used was old and some new. By old i mean real old. Letterpress era stuff.

Anyway one day had a couple of people come into the factory and shut down half of the equipment as it was unsafe.

They wanted us to bring the machines up to a standard of which never existed. Make guards where there was no guards and that sort of thing.

Taking away any function the machine once had.

Basically putting those machines into early retirement despite the equipment functioning as was designed and maintained by engineers from the manufacturer.


Always character building when some pen pushers with no idea about the industry tell you your doing it wrong and you have to fix it.

Sorry for going off topic a bit there Mario. Still relates to the broader discussion i guess.

When I was freelancing a few years ago , Skilled Engineering sent me into several different factories around Brisbane to do exactly that. Manufacture and fit guards to machines. Wow, what a challenge....to suit the owner and the machine operator.....some were simply rediculous but WH&S would not allow the machines to be used until appropriate guards which included electric lockouts to be fitted up.

Originally Posted by ramblingboy42

When I was freelancing a few years ago , Skilled Engineering sent me into several different factories around Brisbane to do exactly that. Manufacture and fit guards to machines. Wow, what a challenge....to suit the owner and the machine operator.....some were simply rediculous but WH&S would not allow the machines to be used until appropriate guards which included electric lockouts to be fitted up.

And to be fair i have seen some very nice work done to fit said guards.

But the problem i found was most of these old machines had a single or very limited use. Just started now and again to compliment some other job.
When this happened most just decided it was not worth it and retired them. 100 year old machines that still functioned retired because someone said in theory someone could get hurt.

When i started my trade it was assumed you could get hurt thus you had to learn how not to get hurt by operating said equipment properly.

The world has changed.

Watched it for the first time this week, half an hour of them dragging lumps of concrete out of the mangroves...'really' I said to myself..is this entertainment now! Between getting us to stare at our phones all day and watch that crap at night...they have really dumbed us down eh..... Won't be tuning in again.

Originally Posted by DAMINK

And to be fair i have seen some very nice work done to fit said guards.

But the problem i found was most of these old machines had a single or very limited use. Just started now and again to compliment some other job.
When this happened most just decided it was not worth it and retired them. 100 year old machines that still functioned retired because someone said in theory someone could get hurt.

When i started my trade it was assumed you could get hurt thus you had to learn how not to get hurt by operating said equipment properly.

The world has changed.

Reminds me of that old saying "The best safety device is the one between your ears".