do I have muppet written on my forehead?

[BAJR Host]

So good that I will add this to the BAJR guidance doc on H&S



Another day another WSI?

[achingknees]

Mmmm...the last link given by PMP starts with...

Prevent the sides and the ends from collapsing by
battering them to a safe angle or supporting them
with timber, sheeting or proprietary support
systems.
?? Do not go into unsupported excavations.
?? Never work ahead of the support.
?? Remember that even work in shallow trenches can
be dangerous. You may need to provide support if
the work involves bending or kneeling in the
trench.

The vast majority of archaeological trenches fail to meet these guidelines. We compensate in some measure by stepping in trenches. What should we do?

Kevin, I too recall one of the institutions (SCAUM or IFA?) clarifying CDM requirements with HSE. Anybody got the details?

[Reggie]

I've heard on the grapevine that some units are arranging for tests for employees for obligitory construction industry 'cards' from next year. I am presuming this is something to do with health and safety on construction sites, etc. So I've been having a look around the internet to see what it is all about and came up with this.

http://www.cscs.uk.com/occupations/croA-..._available

Archaeology is included in the 'related occupation' scheme for a 'white card' - see http://www.cscs.uk.com/card_info/white_c...=card_info

Not sure if this is the same thing as what I have heard about but does anyone have any experience of this and is it something worth having?

[1man1desk]

CSCS cards are becoming very common requirements. Many major construction contractors will not allow anyone to work on their site (or even make regular visits) unless they hold one.

The cards are supposed to certify the holder as competent in a particular trade or occupation. Part of that competence is that they must have passed a test on health and safety, and it is this aspect that makes the contractor companies want everyone to have one.

The last time I looked, archaeology was not one of the listed trades or occupations. However, quite a few of the available occupations are very general. I, and several of my colleagues, hold cards as 'environmental managers', while one of my other colleagues is a 'conservation consultant'.

The test is computerised. You are given 45 minutes to answer the questions, and the degree of difficulty is indicated by the fact that it took me under 4 minutes.

1man1desk

to let, fully furnished

[Reggie]

As I indicated in my post, the list of related occupations (first link) does list "Archaeologist Technician" with the occupation code 5363 and "Craft and Operative" as the H&S test level. Perhaps this is a relatively new addition. Even if I work for a unit that isn't going to insist on the card, I guess it would be a good idea to get one anyway - as swotting up for the test and passing it would improve my H&S for all sites I might work on whether construction is taking place alongside the archaeology or not. If someone offers to pay for the test for me, then all the better !!

[kevin wooldridge]

quote:Originally posted by 1man1deskThe test is computerised. You are given 45 minutes to answer the questions, and the degree of difficulty is indicated by the fact that it took me under 4 minutes.

For the sake of what appears to be a straight forward, easily administered and available test, the cost of this exam (?20) sounds a bit over the top.

Is it possible that our professional body (IFA) could be convinced to get themselves accepted as an equivalant professional body and administer the test for archaeologists?. Both the dosh and the degree of required relevant knowledge would then stay in our industry. As the IFA issue an annual membership card anyway I don't suppose adding the initals 'CSCS' to it would be a great difficulty.

[1man1desk]

I'm not sure, but I don't think that it is open to any professional body to administer the test to its members. It is done for the body that administers the system by a separate company.

On the costs issue, it ought to be paid for by the employer. After all, if they are told they can't bring their staff on site (and therefore can't win the contract), it is in their interest to get all their staff qualified.

I am very glad to see archaeology added as one of the trades in CSCS - it was not available earlier this year, when I took my test.

1man1desk

to let, fully furnished

[troll]

I remember a while ago that I asked about the chemical testing of sites prior to intrusive works.I asked just how many project managers out there carried out/commissioned such testing as a matter of course and thus far, months later, not one response.Bit worrying this......
Urban sites-industrial contamination ranging from the nasty to the fatal......
Rural sites-agricultural pesticides and dumping ranging from the reasonably benign to the ridiculously lethal......
Come on then, who out there in HS land has chemical testing of sites even mentioned in their HS policies-if not, why not?[?]

[1man1desk]

Well, I have designed and commissioned trial trenching on a couple of contaminated sites in the past.

Any site that is likely to be contaminated will also have geotechnical ground investigations either before or at the same time as the archaeological works, and they will be trying to identify any contamination and its nature. Before they start on site, they will have carried out a desk-top study to identify past land uses that might have given rise to contamination.

When I need to investigate a site that might be contaminated, I liaise with the geotechnical engineers to find out what they know and to seek advice on how to do the archaeological works safely. If necessary, I then change the archaeological methodology in the spec that I write, and I put in all the necessary H&S precautions, before sending it out to tender. These precautions might compromise the archaeological methodology - but the H&S issues have to take priority.

In some cases, I have (with the agreement of the curator) replaced trial trenching with coring, so that we never have a hole that anyone has to enter.

I have in the past done all this on an ad-hoc, project-by-project basis. However, I have recently asked one of my staff to research the issue more thoroughly so as to produce internal company guidelines on how to address this issue.

1man1desk

to let, fully furnished

[kevin wooldridge]

We may have raised this subject before...

I seem to recall that someone thought somewhere there might be a national/regional database of contaminated land. This database was accessable to staff based in planning departments, but not to the general public, for fear of deflating property prices. Does anyone remember?

If that was the case then H&S ought to be a good reason for disclosure.