11th May 2005, 07:15 PM
Quote:quote:Originally posted by troll
Mr Knees-Greetings sire! Excellent point, if the boys and girls in the trenches knew exactly what their rights and entitlements were, things would indeed change for the better.
At the recent Digger's Forum meeting in Cambridge we discussed this very point. I suggested that perhaps the Digger's Forum could produce a small card with '10 FAQ about archaeological H&S', for the benefit of Diggers on site. This would list frequently encountered H&S problems and suggest solutions as well as sources of information. I hope that the Diggers Forum takes the idea up.
I personally feel that we all need to be more pro-active when it comes to H&S. Diggers should be turning up on site and saying 'Show me the risk assessment' rather than relying on a thin promise that one exists somewhere on the desk, in an office other than the place where the action is happening in the charge of a 'time server' who is otherwise unconnected with the project. Likewise, the bogs, washing facilities and huts should get to site [u] before</u> the staff and not several days or weeks later. Likewise PPE safety equipment should be provided for all staff and not left to the whim or will of the local Millets and the limited personal finances of hard-up Diggers.
A parallel discussion to this one running on Britarch at the moment has suggested that archaeologists are intimidated and discriminated against for raising H&S issues. Isn't that a terrible thing and shouldn't anyone guilty of such behaviour be immediately 'outed' as the worst kind of bastard and someone that archaeology could well do without.