Just a query re: hard hats.

brutus1983

It can all depend on the main construction contractor some don't bother about the colour but others are very fussy. I was wearing a blue hard hat and my hi viz had visitor written on the back I was nearly kicked off site.

Blue hat was for first aiders and they believed having visitor written on the back of your hi viz gave off the wrong impression that a visitor was working for them

Also some sites also now operate a mandatory gloves and safety glasses at all times rule

Fluff15

On railway construction sites, to comply with NWR PTS rules, you must wear a blue hat if you have only recently passed your PTS training; and white for if your employer has signed off your learning support deeming you to be experienced enough.

On other building sites, it often depends on the rules of the site. I have not known on any of the sites I have worked on to specify a certain colour, but as other people have said it does matter. I would ring the employer to make sure. Good luck!

skater_kat

definately get white.
all the other colours mean something.
i made this mistake on my first day once - i got a grey coloured one and thats the colour supervisiors wear! lol :rotfl:

patman99

Well, the day went well and no-one commented on the fact I was the only one in blue hard hat. As I have my own PPE, it makes it much easier to go from job to job.
Friday was purely a one-off covering for a labourer who was on holiday.
Speaking to the management there does appear to be a good chance of more work in the future.

As the agency I am with is only paying NMW, I am going to use them to gain experience before going with another agency who pay £8+ p/h.

All I need now is a set of inserts for my workboots as my feet ached by the end of the day (and I have had many years wearing workboots all day as well).

ohreally

patman99 wrote: »

As the agency I am with is only paying NMW, I am going to use them to gain experience before going with another agency who pay £8+ p/h.

I recall in the mid/late nineties general site labourers getting £12ph.

I came across a job advert the other day for a time served joiner - pay MNMW, sign of the times.

Elfbert

Glad it went well, Patman99.

I've found sites who are that worried about PPE being right colours for their sites (BAA Heathrow, looking at you!) will provide it all to you in their chosen colours if you turn up without/with colours they don't like. They also have all kinds of PPE 'dispensers' around the site for dust masks/ear plugs and other disposable bits and bobs, along with water coolers and cups.

(But I've still to find a site which doesn't use the women's loo as either the Site Manager's personal toilet, or a big storeroom!)

dickydonkin

Elfbert wrote: »

Glad it went well, Patman99.

I've found sites who are that worried about PPE being right colours for their sites (BAA Heathrow, looking at you!) will provide it all to you in their chosen colours if you turn up without/with colours they don't like. They also have all kinds of PPE 'dispensers' around the site for dust masks/ear plugs and other disposable bits and bobs, along with water coolers and cups.

I remember reading something either in a safety publication or on line about HI VIZ clothing for those working around aircraft.

I'm sure it mentioned that their PPE in some cases had to be two coloured so it wouldn't blend in with other safety equipment in the vicinity.

Maybe someone could clarify.

patman99

When working in my last factory role, one of my colleague's brothers was a site manager on a large construction site.
They had a large number of near-misses reported, so he took the step of trialling a 3-month ban on the wearing of hi-vis and had signs to the effect that hi-vis was not worn on site put up at the entrances.

During the entire trial, there was not one single near miss reported. When they questioned both the on-site drivers and those delivering stuff to site, the response was that because there was no hi-vis worn, they had to be more observant to their surroundings, whilst when hi-vis was worn, they became so used to it, that they became 'blind' to the bright yellow or orange vests and coats.

Turned-out that with hi-viz being so common, drivers had just started mentally 'ignoring' those wearing such kit.