2nd November 2005, 10:36 AM
Quote:quote:Originally posted by kevin wooldridge
Quote:quote:At any rate, I see some people doing so very foolish things with shovels and mattocks on site now, mostly in the name of inexperience and speed
And theres the rub. H&S advice is one thing. Proper training in the use of tools another. We must have all seen colleagues who cannot use shovels, picks or mattocks, wheelbarrows or even trowels in a correct fashion. But how do you tell someone? It feels like almost the worst thing that you can ever say to a fellow digger. 'Err - look there's a better way to hold/use that tool/implement'.
Bring back 'Tool Olympics' on site, I say. It might be frowned upon as macho bulls-h!*t but at least you could observe the technique of someone who could genuinely use a shovel/mattock/trowel and who probably worked in a very ergomatic, energy conserving manner as well. I also think that big people helping little people by sharing and emptying barrows is a good idea.
If you have difficulty passing on advice/experience ask the supervisor to do it. The construction industry have taken on the (American?) practise of tool-box talks. This is time-out to discuss working practices, how to use tools safely and effectively etc.
But, as I've said before, there are alternatives to wheelbarrows and slippery slopes. I saw some guys clearing out a garden last week. Small machine was used to empty rubble into a power barrow with occasional shovel or two when required. In no time their skip was full. It looked loads more efficient than our navvie practices.