12th October 2006, 12:24 PM
Greetings Uncle Andy! Would`nt be talking about the very same grown-up in charge of students that placed students in precarious situations recently would we?
Needles, UXBs, contaminated ground.Whatever.Walk off site and don`t return until you have a piece of paper in your hands that demonstrates that the issue has been dealt with by a professional.Always ask to see a site/phase/task specific risk assessment and, a method statement prior to setting foot on site. Beware- I had asked on this forum some time ago if commercial units in the UK routinely carried out both a previous site-use analysis and a raft of chemical tests in order to determine contamination risk prior to fieldwork. The overwhelming silence would seem to be a resounding "no" then. The truth is- it costs too much. Units will do what they can to increase their profit margins and it is obvious that Human life is not considered in an equal light to budgetry interests. University staff can and do behave in a similarly cavalier fashion. Use students to trash site, make up papers, publish, grow taller. Tiz not uncommon. Student, volunteer, staff or visitor- you all have the same rights. This kind of work practise will only stop when employers are forced to include things like "1.4 million pounds worth of compensation" to each digger who contracted a cancer-related illness during our employ. Refuse then have a word with a nice barrister.Or the media, whatever tickles yer fancy. One thing you should`nt ever do- sacrifice your health in order to make a days pay and guarantee your bosses profit margin.
..knowledge without action is insanity and action without knowledge is vanity..(imam ghazali,ayyuhal-walad)
Needles, UXBs, contaminated ground.Whatever.Walk off site and don`t return until you have a piece of paper in your hands that demonstrates that the issue has been dealt with by a professional.Always ask to see a site/phase/task specific risk assessment and, a method statement prior to setting foot on site. Beware- I had asked on this forum some time ago if commercial units in the UK routinely carried out both a previous site-use analysis and a raft of chemical tests in order to determine contamination risk prior to fieldwork. The overwhelming silence would seem to be a resounding "no" then. The truth is- it costs too much. Units will do what they can to increase their profit margins and it is obvious that Human life is not considered in an equal light to budgetry interests. University staff can and do behave in a similarly cavalier fashion. Use students to trash site, make up papers, publish, grow taller. Tiz not uncommon. Student, volunteer, staff or visitor- you all have the same rights. This kind of work practise will only stop when employers are forced to include things like "1.4 million pounds worth of compensation" to each digger who contracted a cancer-related illness during our employ. Refuse then have a word with a nice barrister.Or the media, whatever tickles yer fancy. One thing you should`nt ever do- sacrifice your health in order to make a days pay and guarantee your bosses profit margin.
..knowledge without action is insanity and action without knowledge is vanity..(imam ghazali,ayyuhal-walad)