Thread: has OH&S gone overboard

OH&S is a pain to the person doing the work, maybe. Though the older you get, usually the less you mind.

You need to remember that OH&S is there for a reason and it doesn't always have to be for the safety of the person doing the work. Most times workers are a greater risk to others than themselves.

As for cotton underpants. I truly hope you NEVER have to realise why they made this rule. Pulling clothing out of burnt skin is one of the most painful things you will ever experience.

Weisyboy, I disagree with most of what you have said about safety. If you think that you should decide what rules you will and won't accept, then the government should also be able to decide what medical treatment will be free, and if you will be entitled to a hearing pension, disability pension etc. As a taxpayer I do not want my taxes being wasted on people who will not follow some safety rules.

I admire you for wanting to get into the work, good on you, but there is more to life than the short term.

As for cotton underpants. I truly hope you NEVER have to realise why they made this rule. Pulling clothing out of burnt skin is one of the most painful things you will ever experience.

i have recived 3rd degree burns to 20% of my body my boxer shorts were melted into my leg.

from the mid 80s to 1992 there was a steady increase in both the number and % of accidents involving chain saws where the worker injured was simply not seen before the accident. In 1993 the wearing of high visibility clothing was brought in for forestry workers the number and % of accidents involving unseen workers dropped dramatically to virtually nil..

so in other words most people are now seen before being indured instead of being egnored untill they start screaming.

i have recived 3rd degree burns to 20% of my body my boxer shorts were melted into my leg.

And you still don't get it?? Man, you are one stubborn individual. Either that or... let's leave it at that, shall we.

Originally Posted by weisyboy

i have recived 3rd degree burns to 20% of my body my boxer shorts were melted into my leg.

As long as it wasn't your middle leg
Just how did that happen Carl?

so in other words most people are now seen before being indured instead of being egnored untill they start screaming.

One could look at it like that except the total number of accidents declined as well.

Originally Posted by BobL

As long as it wasn't your middle leg
Just how did that happen Carl?

playing with fire. when i was 10.

Originally Posted by BobL

One could look at it like that except the total number of accidents declined as well.

well you didnt say that did you.

Originally Posted by weisyboy

well you didnt say that did you.

Go back and look at what I wrote in my post.
"In 1993 the wearing of high visibility clothing was brought in for forestry workers the number and % of accidents involving unseen workers dropped dramatically to virtually nil.."

Do you want to an attempt at answering this one Carl?
"I assume you at least wear thongs when using a chain saw?"

[EDIT] just found a picture of carl in another thread wearing boots or joggers and ear-muffs.

Go Carl!

I think all aspects of this topic, except one, have been covered quite adequately.
That one exception is the dutyof employers, under the law, to carry out their responsibilities to their employees.
I know of several cases ( and yes they are true but I won't mention names for legal reasons) where workers' lives have been placed at risk because of flawed or non-existent oversight by bosses.
This is much more disturbing than athe arrant stupidity of those who simply will not accept good practice.
If someone doesn't care about how many limbs they have or what their life is worth that is one thing. When it effects others that is a different matter.

Originally Posted by BobL

Go back and look at what I wrote in my post.
"In 1993 the wearing of high visibility clothing was brought in for forestry workers the number and % of accidents involving unseen workers dropped dramatically to virtually nil.."

thias dose not mean there were less acadents it just means there were less unseen workere involved cos they were sean more easily befor the acident.

Originally Posted by BobL

Do you want to an attempt at answering this one Carl?
"I assume you at least wear thongs when using a chain saw?"

i wear boots ear and muffs when milling for safety i also when i remember wear jeans because it keeps the sawdust off my legs and i can kneal more comfortably and a right glove cose the exhaust blows out on my hand and it gets a bit hot without the glove on.

Originally Posted by weisyboy

thias dose not mean there were less acadents it just means there were less unseen workere involved cos they were sean more easily befor the acident.

You sire are correct - that is indeed a valid interpretation - I saw too much missing text for my own good!

i wear boots ear and muffs when milling for safety i also when i remember wear jeans because it keeps the sawdust off my legs and i can kneal more comfortably and a right glove cose the exhaust blows out on my hand and it gets a bit hot without the glove on.

Crikey you're 3/4 of the way there.

BTW If you want to have working knees and back when you are double your current age you might want to think about getting your logs up off the ground a bit so you don't have to kneel or bend over.

I do believe in some circumstances OH&S has gone a bit far but as has been said, it's the 'idiot factor' at work. You have to set rules for everybody that works in a particular situation.

I work in the automotive industry and the potential for injury or death is a very real one. We are required to wear eye, foot and in most places ear protection. The majority of the time injury is caused by loss of concentration. We do a lot of repetitive work and after 5-6 hours of doing the same thing you can become a little complacent and thats when things can go wrong. We've had squashed and severed fingers in places where guards were present and working correctly.
In one accident, a part became jammed in a conveyor that was guarded. Instead of hitting the E-stop and isolating the conveyor the operator prodded at the part with his finger, the part unjammed, conveyor started moving again and took his finger with it. A preventable accident.

Sure OH&S can be frustrating and at times border on insanity but in the end its all our safety at stake, wether it be you, your best mate or even your son or daughter. And thats the point.

Steven.

Jeez, you just can't tell some people.

Stirlo, re the mouthguard. I know that off the shelf mouthguards are uncomfortable, but try getting one made by a dentist or dental tech. Much more comfortable and you can speak while wearing them - at least loud enough for the ref to hear you, unfortunately (DAMHIK). They're not cheap, but a lot cheaper and more convenient than false teeth or a crown.

This topic has drifted from the weird and wonderful OH&S dept to personal stupidity.

Work/play with out protection is like sex without protection.

You can get away with it some times but other times can lead to some severe consequences.

Personally I feel that OH&S is a necessary evil, I would be dead several times over without it at work... Im very safety orientated, there have been numerous deaths at my work in its 150yr history ranging from the stupidly preventable to the 1 in a 1,000,000 freak incident.
But I feel out in public it has gone too far in a lot of cases.

" "In 1993 the wearing of high visibility clothing was brought in for forestry workers the number and % of accidents involving unseen workers dropped dramatically to virtually nil.."

I can relate to that, I lost my next door neighbor a few years back because he wasnt seen by the driver of a 20T loader in a concentrates shed(dark and dusty) ... the driver I feel sorry for because he did even know it had happened until no one could find Greg and went looking for him, imagine the bloke who found him flat as a pancake.
As a result we all wear bright orange overalls with reflective stripes now... not pretty but I feel and know I am a lot safer even tho we look stupid.

Talk about 'come in spinner'.

Weisyboy has been winding you lot up for days..