And one persons 'why do I have to wear them?' Can be another listeners 'wtf do I have to wear these, yer prick?!' Especially if the same question has been asked by quite a few, and even if this questioner didnt use that tone, many others did
Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) Regulations 1992 state that PPE must be provided free of charge, where an employer has assessed the risk, and deemed it necessary. It must be fit for purpose, fit correctly, maintained/cleaned, and used correctly. The law states that where PPE is provided, it must be worn, and it is not optional to refuse to wear it, even where the user is willing to sign a disclaimer to that effect.
There is a lot of misconception with 'Health and Safety' most of the stupid rules are not down to the HSE, they are down to idiots misunderstanding the regs. Company policies get written to cover the majority of workers, of course there will be exceptions but it's easier to cover all with one rule than write different rules for every different job. Hard hats are not a legal requirement on a construction site, neither is hi viz clothing. Some jobs will require them though and it's a lot easier to enforce a blanket policy than try and work out which of the hundred or so ops on a site should be wearing them... I have recently taken a step up the ladder and I'm now running a 6km surface water drainage upgrade scheme on the M5, it's my first job as 'the boss' and the idea that the safety of the lads on my site is my responsibility is utterly terrifying!
had a great one at work about safety helmets one of the main bosses insisted we wear safety helmets at all times in a certain area supplied helmets were of the builders style helmet yep working under a car when its on a lift needs a builders which falls off when looking up at what you are working on when wearing the helmet my work collegue could not even walk under the vehicle due to his height but the best one was the boss who implemented this wanted to work on his sons car.... helmet ......what fu*%$ helmet
think the best health and safety I have seen was in tesco a lad setting up a display of I pads on the end of an isle hard hat hi vis jacket and safety barriers around him lol
Yep, and if you fail to ensure your lads work safely/wear prescribed PPE, come the accident/injury, you could well be in the dock, promising to "tell the truth, the whole truth, and nothing like the truth" in order to avoid a hefty prison sentence or fine
As mentioned earlier, any ppe has to be fit for purpose. If your lid keeps falling off it's not fit for purpose, it's your employers responsibility to provide adequate ppe as identified in the appropriate risk assessment / method statement
"had a great one at work about safety helmets one of the main bosses insisted we wear safety helmets at all times in a certain area supplied helmets were of the builders style helmet yep working under a car when its on a lift needs a builders which falls off when looking up at what you are working on when wearing the helmet my work collegue could not even walk under the vehicle due to his height but the best one was the boss who implemented this wanted to work on his sons car.... helmet ......what fu*%$ helmet" A good example of the wrong type of PPE. I used to work for ATS Euromaster, and the guys working under cars on a lift, were provided with impact helmets (with straps) latex gloves, and safety glasses (you get loads of shit/crud dropping off the underside of cars, and it isn't good for your eyes. Of course, they hated wearing it (not manly) and took every opportunity to forget to wear it...
As I said before, and as wroughtironron also said, PPE has to be fit for purpose; and if a hat falls off or impedes your work then it's not fit for purpose. What your idiot boss obviously failed to grasp was that making you wear incorrect PPE is exactly the same, legally, as not providing PPE at all. It is their responsibility to supply the correct PPE, and your responsibility to use it.
First stage in any disciplinary process should still be a verbal warning. IMO you have been harshly treated. Andy
Disagree, serious misconduct. Written warning, don't want accept that, go home. In his defence, was he given training before he entered the Lab?
No. No safety briefing, but they said I had one. The next engineer went in the day after, no safety briefing. Someone else later that week, with the person who made the complaint, no safety briefing. I believe the girl was covering her arse and told her boss that I had received a briefing.
Do they have any paperwork to support your safety briefing and your signature to say you received it?
