21st February 2010, 07:59 PM
Amongst all these posts I can't find any discussion on the aspect of site working conditions. While the pay is poor, and none of us gains the respect graduates are shown in other fields most of us aren't in this job for the money. What upsets me is the poor conditions we are expected to work in.
Since working within archaeology I have experienced sites where staff work in the rain, trudging across slippery fields with arms full of sharp tools. Sites that have not been adequately checked for asbestos. Sites where portocabins were lifted over the heads of archaeologists on the ground. Sites that were either freezing or too hot with no sun block or water offered.
In fact, health and safety has only become our enemy, with each site having it's own quirky rules about PPE and netlon.
Does anybody know who we contact if we don't feel safe? Is there anything to protect the archaeologist on the ground? Competitive tendering doesn't just slice away at our pay but also limits the time we have on site, pushing us into dangerous conditions to meet deadlines. The fact is that recording archaeology is a legal requirement and must be treated with respect by contractors.
The phrase "shovel monkey" is often tossed around jokingly to describe the life of a lowly site assistant, but at the end of the day we are actually human, with families who would be very distressed if anything happened to us.
Since working within archaeology I have experienced sites where staff work in the rain, trudging across slippery fields with arms full of sharp tools. Sites that have not been adequately checked for asbestos. Sites where portocabins were lifted over the heads of archaeologists on the ground. Sites that were either freezing or too hot with no sun block or water offered.
In fact, health and safety has only become our enemy, with each site having it's own quirky rules about PPE and netlon.
Does anybody know who we contact if we don't feel safe? Is there anything to protect the archaeologist on the ground? Competitive tendering doesn't just slice away at our pay but also limits the time we have on site, pushing us into dangerous conditions to meet deadlines. The fact is that recording archaeology is a legal requirement and must be treated with respect by contractors.
The phrase "shovel monkey" is often tossed around jokingly to describe the life of a lowly site assistant, but at the end of the day we are actually human, with families who would be very distressed if anything happened to us.