23rd October 2008, 09:30 PM
surely some mistake. Shouldn't a basic awareness of how not to die on site be useful...
Interesting anecdote from a field archaeology Masters course. First lecture on excavation techniques, the question- 'what is your first responsibility as in archaeologist?' We all fluffed about the first responsibility to the archaeology etc, the answer was (obvious now, but it takes someone to point out) 'For your own safety and the safety of those around you.' If everyone knew and appreciated this before they got on site, they'd know to be able to tell idiots who expect them to work in dangerous conditions to p*** off.
Being able to dig like a JCB is no use if you're dead at the bottom of a 3 metre-deep unshored section (I won't name the unit, but I was there and they were stupid enough to take working shots). Not unique as I've now seen at least two other units put photos of 2m plus standing sections that have obviously been trowelled/had ranging rods put up against them/got a section line pinned into them into reports. One of them even consisted of 2m of loose brick and concrete rubble overlying colluvium at the botom of a 45% slope. Would have been slightly less annoying if our tender hadn't included a hefty contingency for shoring. Muppets. Rant over
edited for general illiteracy
Interesting anecdote from a field archaeology Masters course. First lecture on excavation techniques, the question- 'what is your first responsibility as in archaeologist?' We all fluffed about the first responsibility to the archaeology etc, the answer was (obvious now, but it takes someone to point out) 'For your own safety and the safety of those around you.' If everyone knew and appreciated this before they got on site, they'd know to be able to tell idiots who expect them to work in dangerous conditions to p*** off.
Being able to dig like a JCB is no use if you're dead at the bottom of a 3 metre-deep unshored section (I won't name the unit, but I was there and they were stupid enough to take working shots). Not unique as I've now seen at least two other units put photos of 2m plus standing sections that have obviously been trowelled/had ranging rods put up against them/got a section line pinned into them into reports. One of them even consisted of 2m of loose brick and concrete rubble overlying colluvium at the botom of a 45% slope. Would have been slightly less annoying if our tender hadn't included a hefty contingency for shoring. Muppets. Rant over
edited for general illiteracy