9th December 2005, 05:47 PM
I can only support what has been said in that email to Britarch. I myself have worked both in the UK and in Germany, and can confirm from my own experience that UK contract archaeologists are generally getting a better deal in Health and Safety and general work conditions.
Earlier this year I was working on a large-scale urban site in Germany, which had the most appauling H&S standards I have ever seen anywhere. The site was contaminated (Heating Fuel and Mercury) and staff was at first given no appropriate protection, mechanical excavators were swinging with full loads over the heads of archaeologists, access to the excavation area was over spoil heaps, site traffic was totally uncontrolled etc etc etc. I was present when we came across the first area contaminated with mercury and immediately evacuated all the other staff in that trench. It took hours for the developers environmental specialist to turn up and he at first had a good laugh at us, because he didn't believe that we had a contamination. Once he had a good look around the area and moved the spoil I had covered the mercury with he jumped out of the trench and asked his colleague to pass him his respirator! Next time I find something like that and the guys responsible can't be arsed to do something about it in good time I will call the firebrigade and let them deal with it and have the unit or developer pay for it.
I could go on for hours about that site. Only this week there was a major incident on site where one of the diggers was almost hit by a bit of steel falling from the top...(I don't work there any more, but I still get the news).
The major problem was that the majority of people doing the diggers job were totally inappropriate staff, many of them students and most of them not even enrolled in an archaeological degree.
Totally ridiculous. Compared to the quality of work and to the standards in H&S I have seen in the UK on the sites that I have worked on (I am sure there are exceptions and those should be followed up by the relevant authorities) it was an absolute shambles. Therefore, yes while the IFA may be not the best one would hope for in terms of helping on-site conditions all people working in the UK that something like this xists in the first place!
Anyway, rant over.
Any chance of extending BAJR across Europe???
Earlier this year I was working on a large-scale urban site in Germany, which had the most appauling H&S standards I have ever seen anywhere. The site was contaminated (Heating Fuel and Mercury) and staff was at first given no appropriate protection, mechanical excavators were swinging with full loads over the heads of archaeologists, access to the excavation area was over spoil heaps, site traffic was totally uncontrolled etc etc etc. I was present when we came across the first area contaminated with mercury and immediately evacuated all the other staff in that trench. It took hours for the developers environmental specialist to turn up and he at first had a good laugh at us, because he didn't believe that we had a contamination. Once he had a good look around the area and moved the spoil I had covered the mercury with he jumped out of the trench and asked his colleague to pass him his respirator! Next time I find something like that and the guys responsible can't be arsed to do something about it in good time I will call the firebrigade and let them deal with it and have the unit or developer pay for it.
I could go on for hours about that site. Only this week there was a major incident on site where one of the diggers was almost hit by a bit of steel falling from the top...(I don't work there any more, but I still get the news).
The major problem was that the majority of people doing the diggers job were totally inappropriate staff, many of them students and most of them not even enrolled in an archaeological degree.
Totally ridiculous. Compared to the quality of work and to the standards in H&S I have seen in the UK on the sites that I have worked on (I am sure there are exceptions and those should be followed up by the relevant authorities) it was an absolute shambles. Therefore, yes while the IFA may be not the best one would hope for in terms of helping on-site conditions all people working in the UK that something like this xists in the first place!
Anyway, rant over.
Any chance of extending BAJR across Europe???