Yesterday my daughter Vicki and I were painting out the corrugated front facia of a used car lot we are doing all new signage for next week.
We were working off my 12ft tressles and a single plank. The facia was 2.4m [8ft] off the ground and the apex was 4.5m [15ft] within reach of the plank set level with the bottom. No problems. "Safe as houses" as far I was concerned. Legal too.
WRONG!
Just about finished when a loud voice below shouts "Come down immediately ... Workplace Health and Safety Officers"!
"That's a $1200 ON THE SPOT FINE for unsafe work practices ... and another $600 for not having a Work Method Statement for this site ... and you have 30 days to produce a Blue Card for work on a Construction Site!" ?????????
Evidentently the Queensland Government changed all the rules back in January and I wasn't aware. They don't tell you. It's up to you to find out!!!
All workplaces with "potential hazards" are now deemed construction sites so you now need a Blue Card everywhere. The new rules limit single planks to 2m off the ground not 2.4m but still allow 3m on house building sites?
OMG! $1800! Plus $80 for a Blue Card. There goes a large chunk of the profit on this job.
Fortunately the officer was very reasonable. After a stern lecture, and promises to produce correct documentation next week and do the rest of the job off regulation scaffolding I was let off with a warning. Maybe it was my 40 year experience working on walls ?
To think in my "youth" we used to work off 20ft single planks 16ft off the ground all the time. You were just careful.
Well this "old phart" is sticking to mobile scaffold and sissor lifts from here on, the customer will pay the extra cost! Posted by Jeff Ogden (Member # 3184) on :
I hear you Bushie...
Sorry to hear you guys are being over-regulated too, down there. I thought it was just happening here in the good old USA.
One day we'll be so dressed up in safety gear, we won't be able to hold a brush. Or let's just say, all that stuff will definitely cramp our style...
Next thing you know, we'll be asked to provide documentation of what we've been doing for the last 24 hours BEFORE we get on the ladder.
...I hate it.
Posted by Frank Magoo (Member # 3950) on :
Jeff; from what I seen at Lodi, that would be working, working, working last 24 hours...
Got to agree, won't be any time at all and they'll have us filing off sharp ends of brush handles for fear of putting someones eye out...if and only if, there's still such a thing as a brush or the need for one other than to blend rouge'. Posted by Ricky Jackson (Member # 5082) on :
I think he did you a favor Bushie, especially letting you off so easily. When I was young and dumb I started out lettering (helping) billboards. I'd be up 100' on a 24" catwalk and NO safety harness or rope, rotten boards, bird crap eating the insulation off the wiring and exposing nekkid wire, wasps flying around and morons driving by honking to see if they could make you fall. And falling "only" 8'? Kent Smith still has a serious hitch in his giddyup from falling off an 8' ladder.
Posted by Ian Stewart-Koster (Member # 3500) on :
Ouch!
(edited to add- it looks like 1/2 hour of paperwork filling out is needed before you do a 3 minute menu-board update at a shopping centre...)
[ December 02, 2006, 06:41 AM: Message edited by: Ian Stewart-Koster ]
Posted by Stephen Deveau (Member # 1305) on :
And to think that in our youth we had no fears.
But as we view the "TV Tube" we see alot of perventable deads or injury with forsite.
I am glad there are people out there looking over our shoulders to make sure thing go as planned.
Most rules are there for this reason.
[ December 02, 2006, 06:46 AM: Message edited by: Stephen Deveau ]
Posted by Donald Miner (Member # 6472) on :
Yes, and before long we'll need safety belts on dining room chairs! Let's not be to hasty, I've heard of some ridicolous regulations, but then there is a case of someone getting killed because they had no common sense. I agree that some regs may sound dumb, but what with the lawsuit thing going on, you may find that the insurance companies are at the root of it all. And really, can you blame them? May we also remember that an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure?
yes and before long we'll need seat belts on dining room chairs! Let's not be to hasty,
Posted by Stephen Deveau (Member # 1305) on :
Sure you need seat belts in a moving Car but not when your children are sitting on the Bus!
Go Figure!
Posted by Eric Barker (Member # 2972) on :
Remember this from 1972?
Posted by Si Allen (Member # 420) on :
LOL! Just think of what he would have done if you were up on ladder jacks and a board?
For you young ones that have never had the pleasure of being up on a set:
[ December 02, 2006, 12:33 PM: Message edited by: Si Allen ]
Posted by Deb Fowler (Member # 1039) on :
wonder what a osha cowgirl would have to go through! lol, that sketch is a hoot. Si, you're bringing back my memories on those ladder jacks on my first high wall job! It's okay once you get up there, and the ground is somewhat flat!
Posted by Jon Butterworth (Member # 227) on :
Si ... some Signwriters still use them in NSW!
Names withheld to protect the innocent, but Lance knows who they were. The Mayor would have been up there too, but his excuse was that he gets nose bleeds above milk crate height off the ground!
Stewey ... You will definately need a "Blue Card" by January 1st. Do it online at www.bluedogtraining.com.au .... I did this weekend. It's a fairly simple multiple choice exam and costs $80. This is a one-off charge and the card is good forever.
As for the paperwork, I'm still not exactly sure what is required in each case but from what I understand the "Work Method Statements" you have to carry on each job can cover a multitude of similar sites and situations and are good for 12 months. I have an appointment to see the Workplace and Safety Officer next week and clarify a few things, get copies of the relavent forms and a set of the latest regulations. I'll let you know what happens.
Evidently there is another inspector in the area at the moment who is not quite as accomodating. Doesn't give warnings! So beware!!!!
Posted by William Holohan (Member # 2514) on :
Si, I will never admit to how many hundred squares of house paint I applied in my youth off of ladderjacks and a plank. Or how many gallons of paint I kicked off the board either, but I always had gas money during the summer through my high school years. Only fell once.
Posted by Ian Stewart-Koster (Member # 3500) on :
Thanks Jon!
I did have the WHS orange card from when I did the course at Masterhire four years ago- evidently it's now not current...
I did a search on the 'net and the dept WHS has a website and there are sample Work Method Statement forms you can download- blank ones- on a couple of other sites.
It turns out the Tafe in T'wmba have a department that'll take you through the course- the bloke in charge is Leigh Godwin- he was the overseer of Glenda Beatty when she worked for us from Downs Group Training.
Posted by Anne McDonald (Member # 6842) on :
Someone forgot to add the airbags on that Cowboy! I know who those likely fellows are up on the Burrawang plank, don't tell osh what the max weight loading is on that bit of wood It seems these days that if you trip over a crack in the pavement the guy that laid that paving is likely to get sued. Someone should notify the Oxford Dictionary that the definition for accident has changed to "It was their fault"?????????
Posted by david drane (Member # 507) on :
Geez Bushie, you are really scaring me. Is this what the Sign association are going on about to try and force people to join up??. I did a fascia a couple of weeks back off a ladder. I guess I would have got the same treatment you got if the WH&S went by. I am getting so close to retirement that I could do without this c&@p at this time of my career.
Posted by Ian Stewart-Koster (Member # 3500) on :
Quote: "This is a one-off charge and the card is good forever."
I thought the orange Workplace Health & Safety card from 2002 was 'forever'!
Thanks for the link Jon, I've just done the course too. Just have to post the $80 away with the printed paperwork.
Posted by Tony Vickio (Member # 2265) on :
I am also petrified of heights! One day, Steve Hughey and I were working on water tank at Watkins Glen International Raceway. We were instructed by the track "safety" man on how to run the two man "man lift". We sign a paper that we were properly instructed. Then we were given hard hats and safety harnesses that took 5 minutes to put on. The huge clip at the end of the harness was then clipped to the hook in the lift basket and up we went. After we were up there for a half an hour, I turn to Steve and say, "You know something? This is f**kin' stupid! Here we are, 30 feet in the air and they make us strap into the thing that is going to tip over!"
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