Advice needed, threatened with formal warning behind back?
Comments
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The way I read the email sent to your customer is that blaming you is a little bit of a backside covering exercise.
However I do think you were wrong not to wear the hi vis PPE - regardless of whether there were people there or not (I recently had to wear a hard hat in a field where the only danger of having anything dropped on my head was bird droppings lol).
As for going back to the site, wear your PPE at all times & chalk this up to experiences.
Edit - just read the location. Ok so high vis is a overkill but were there an y signs saying that you were present, working?0 -
gettingtheresometime wrote: »The way I read the email sent to your customer is that blaming you is a little bit of a backside covering exercise.
However I do think you were wrong not to wear the hi vis PPE - regardless of whether there were people there or not (I recently had to wear a hard hat in a field where the only danger of having anything dropped on my head was bird droppings lol).
As for going back to the site, wear your PPE at all times & chalk this up to experiences.
Edit - just read the location. Ok so high vis is a overkill but were there an y signs saying that you were present, working?
No, entire site was basically closed and there was only the site contact, and a security guard who was at a desk at reception so only 3 of us on site so obviously the need for signs kind of went out the window. The way it came across to me was they were unhappy the job didn't get done so are now trying to throw a few extra things in to get the price knocked down in my opinion.0 -
marliepanda wrote: »If wearing the high vis wasnt appropriate, and you couldnt complete the work due to a sloppy risk assessment then I wouldnt be accepting a warning in any capacity.
I'm more annoyed at the fact that the customer knew about my warning before I did. I understand there is wanting to keep a customer happy, but I think from the entire situation surely in my opinion anyway you would be looking out for your engineers in this instance rather than the one customer.0 -
marliepanda wrote: »If wearing the high vis wasnt appropriate, and you couldnt complete the work due to a sloppy risk assessment then I wouldnt be accepting a warning in any capacity.
I agree absolutely with this. From your explanation you have done nothing wrong so no formal warning can be justified.0 -
My take on this. The customer isn't happy because the job isn't done (wasted time) needs to be rescheduled (more wasted time) and also the RA is incomplete. Your manager isn't happy because he made a fool out of himself and has managed to upset the customer and is costing the company money.
I suspect that using PPE is included in the RA, the customer has picked up on that and that is why you are facing a warning. This could be something that you learn from i.e. when at a customer site, always wear your hi-vis (could be a bib, vest type thing), wear safety footwear, have your gloves in your toolbox (don't forget that you need different gloves for different tasks) in short be prepared and get into the habit. Health & Safety is also your responsibility.0 -
My take on this. The customer isn't happy because the job isn't done (wasted time) needs to be rescheduled (more wasted time) and also the RA is incomplete. Your manager isn't happy because he made a fool out of himself and has managed to upset the customer and is costing the company money.
I suspect that using PPE is included in the RA, the customer has picked up on that and that is why you are facing a warning. This could be something that you learn from i.e. when at a customer site, always wear your hi-vis (could be a bib, vest type thing), wear safety footwear, have your gloves in your toolbox (don't forget that you need different gloves for different tasks) in short be prepared and get into the habit. Health & Safety is also your responsibility.
From what I understand from the email complaint from the customer, they are unhappy I wasn't wearing the proper PPE for using a Grinder etc..., but this is because the job wasn't going ahead so in my mind I had no need to put goggles etc on for a task that was never going to be started. Think that's what they are trying to say the issue is, anyway.0 -
Pretty much the way you have interpreted it. I brought up the risk assessment to the site contact, and asked if the grinder had been listed on there, to which I was told no, and was told by the site contact that I couldn't continue, I didn't argue or anything, I said we would have to rearrange and that I would explain to my company why it was stopped etc. So the site have pretty much complained that the risk assessment was wrong (nothing to do with me) and that I wasn't wearing the correct PPE (even though there was no work taking place, and all the work before that doesn't need PPE in our company risk assessment)
You should be reading the risk assessment before you start a job, especially considering it wasn't written by you. You can then make sure it contains all the work you will be doing and also it should state what PPE you are required to wear. You should never be in a position where you have to ask a third party what is contained in the risk assessment for the job you are doing.The customer complained that I didn't have a Hi Vis, Goggles or Gloves.., and I did, I WASN'T wearing them, but that was because I wasn't undertaking any task that needed them. If I had been using the grinder, I would have had to wear them etc. As it goes for the Hi Vis, it's very much give and take, GENERALLY our company policy is to wear them on sites where it is mandatory, such as construction etc. This was just a kitchen in a law firm etc, so wasn't mandatory.
There really should be a clear policy on when Hi-Vis is worn and it should be included in the risk assessment.
Your company seems to a bit slack on the Health and Safety side of things and you really shouldn't be starting any job if the risk assessment is incomplete or you are unsure of what PPE is required.0 -
Sounds to me as if you've had a 'warning' for the benefit of the customer...0
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You were having a discussion with the client about documentation (R/A),what PPE is required for a discussion?Don’t be a can’t, be a can.0
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I'd suggest pragmatism is considered. What are the consequences of just ignoring what had happened and moving on? None. What are the possible consequences of kicking up a fuss? Possibly setting up one or more managers to start examining your work to find any reason at all to get you. Nobody is that perfect that they don't make mistakes. It isn't fair, but "it isn't fair" is a refrain best kept for the playground.
If this is something you can't live with, find another job and leave. But don't put your employment at risk over an inconsequential idiocy (on their part, not yours) because you won't win.0
This discussion has been closed.
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