Thread: Power Tool Safety Tagging

Originally Posted by NCArcher

One mine site, where we do the tagging, has weekly tagging for all contractors.

Depending on (miss) use some items might need to checked after 5 minutes. I have taken out of service many items well before they were due for retesting as they had been damaged. Many other items will be tested multiple times without any problems over their working life.

"I would be curious if the T&T regime has resulted in a significant reduction in electrocutions"

Yes it would be interesting - but I can tell you that when you see the copper conductor on a lead you can only think as to how close an incident is.

if you see some of the junk some contractors bring onto site or try to work with you'd be amazed there aren't more workplace fatalities.

its the she'll be right attitude that stinks. not the testing or equipment checking that does.

As a site manager T&T is the baine of my life. It's been around in Victoria for well over 20 years, yet the attitude of some older contractors makes you think its a new thing. The look I get from some guys when told to get their stuff tagged, you would swear I'd asked to sleep with their wife!
Years ago on heavily unionised building sites, if the shop steward found an untagged/out of date tool unattended, it had the lead cut and then locked up in their shed which usually involved an amber liquid trade to get it back.

As head contractor, our stuff is always tagged by an electrictian as its either in the contract or a deal is in place (ie. we will clean up after you pigs if you tag our stuff!). Alot of other trades do the self tagging, I personally don't agree with it as it's self inspection. At least with our stuff, if it fails the sparky can fix it then and there. Who fixes the nick in the lead when they test?

The biggest common problem with smaller 1 man contractors is this. They walk into Middy's or L&H, buy a pack of tags, fill them out and copy a licence number from another tag.