Thread: open door policy

just spoke to LOML and mentioned this she said great I will take you and a trailer load until I told her its in QLD

its not that far

cheers for the kind offer, weisy, but youre a bit far for me .
this sort of thing is what this forum is all about, i reckon. goodonya.

Carl,
Great gesture and i'm sure many of us will take you up on it.
Do we have to supply caramel tarts for morno???

sounds like a good deal bazza.

Awww geez, now if only I can get a crane and a truck out the back of dad's place to the scribbly gum out there.

peter

i could always come and do them.

for a fee.

all be it small enough for my fuel to get there and a chainsaw chain.

Great idea Carl. HOWEVER, you had best check WPH&S policies and also your insurance. Hate to see your generosity land you in deep doo-doo.

Originally Posted by weisyboy

i have decided to work on an open door policy anyone is welcome to come around and watch and have a play or give me a hand with my chainsaw mill.
;

Weisy, while I'm sympathetic with your idea about "sharing the milling love"!, I agree with artme about watching out for OHS and insurance especially since you have stated on a public website that you have an open door "policy". Most workshops and workplaces would be required by their insurance company to have a closed door policy. Members of the public would have to be invited individually into the workspace, there would be a requirement for clearly marked areas about where the public could stand/watch, and it is very unlikely that this would be anywhere near machines or tools especially if they were operating. BTW, the words "chainsaw" and "play" is not a good combination to promote and could also end in more than tears where complete strangers are concerned.

A number of people including complete strangers have asked to come and watch me milling or learn milling from me. If they are complete strangers I attempt to get to know them first, if I can't or they turnout to be a bit flakey I tell them "sorry the yard owner isn't allowing allow third persons on site". Since I use my big mill mainly on another persons property I have to get permission from the property owner anyway.

I certainly wouldn't let anyone I don't know very well use my mills and when I'm cutting no one gets within 2 m of the mill. I also do not just let anyone use or borrow my chainsaws unless they are experienced users.

Last year I posted an offer to members to visit my property to see my bandsaw mill in operation. I also offerred to mill a few logs for them. No one came. I spoke to my insurer before hand and he was concerned. My public liability is only for me to mill my timber and not as a commercial sawmill. He felt that if something went wrong I would not be covered.

I would not allow anyone other than my self to use my machine. The theory of operation is simple but in reality it is very easy to overlook some part of the procedure and do some costly damage. I did, too often, in the early stages of learing to use it.

I second the motion to be very carefull about your offer. In fact it would probably be a smarter idea if you withdrew it, at least until you made more inquiries.

i have been been cotacted about thi by email by a few people not wanting to make a scine on the public forum.

i have spokn to my lawyer and he advises me that it is on private property and i am not running a comercial sawmill so there should not be any problem.

i am not going to withdraw my offer if australia is being reduced to the level of america where you cant do anything without fear of being sued then it is a sad sad day.

Originally Posted by weisyboy

i have been been cotacted about thi by email by a few people not wanting to make a scine on the public forum.

i have spokn to my lawyer and he advises me that it is on private property and i am not running a comercial sawmill so there should not be any problem.

i am not going to withdraw my offer if australia is being reduced to the level of america where you cant do anything without fear of being sued then it is a sad sad day.

I agree that it's ludicrous that it's got to this point but it sounds like you need a new lawyer. If someone idiot turns up and while giving you a hand injures themselves or someone else you have lost your first point of defence in that they can say you invited them onto your property. It's the same as saying anyone can come to my place and drive my tractor. If they run over someone, you invited them, you allowed them to drive so you will at least in part be liable whether it's private property or not. legally it's one thing to say publicly that "interested persons can PM me if they wish to see the mill in action" and something else to say your offering an "open house"

Whether it's computers or your property a standard first line of security is block all and then filter.

We (hubby especially keen) to come and have a look, will contact you in the next week or two. Petes been nagging and dropping hints about one of these mills for a while now.

Donna

sure thing flynnsart will be great to have you along.

i was most disapinted when "chooks74" asked to have a look at someones mill and noone responded there is alot of people with mills in brisbane that were not willing to have anyone come and have a look. well they lost them selves the privelage of meating a verry nice bloke.

https://www.woodworkforums.com/f132/brisbane-offsider-day-64941