Should agency hands be supplied free PPE at the worksite?

[back6]

PPE must be supplied by the principal contractor at most sites under aussie OHS acts and regs which vary state to state, also you come under NOPSA regs in aussie territorial waters.

But common sense should be that whatever countries design/safety standard that applies to the site or rig dictate what type of PPE is accceptable and complies for compensation purposes.USNI, British standard, AN/NZI .

Any workers compensation insurer will wriggle out of paying for a lost eye if an aussie was wearing US standard safety specs and not australian standard. The site owner who is legally responsible to ensure correct PPE is issued and worn is then up shit creek and will have to settle all compensation out of their own bucket of money.
The site should supply every time to cover their own arses.

[Theblackfingernail]

NO. NO, NO, NO, get the driff.

Day rate scum-bags, mince around taking the best money from anyone they can, supply your standard PPE.

The Finger

[temp]

Worked agency last 12 yrs, and have always carried my own ppe to jobs; boots, coveralls, hard hat, safety glasses, ear defenders and pair of gloves, plus wet weather jacket and trousers and warm jacket for cold climes. Never found it takes up too much space/weight – it’s not as if you have to pay excess baggage yourself as plenty Kg allowance most flight tickets, and can split into 2 bags for helicopter flight baggage limits.
Can’t be bothered searching around in locker room every job for manky old hard hat etc, so already have everything I need with me. Fresh workgloves etc and waterproofs are usually available on most systems.

I have sometimes turned up on jobs where no waterproofs provided on system and it’s pissing with rain – so I always know I’ll be ok if I take my own. I think that as a self-employed sub-contractor you should be fairly self-sufficient and not automatically expect free coveralls and boots etc, although it is nice to get freebie Jallates boots etc if offered.

Mostly gear obtained (legit) when working for companies, although have on occasions bought own boots and warm jacket in the past when worn out and run out of stock of freebies. UKPS joining instructions do now specifically say take ‘unbadged coveralls’, which obviously can be a problem if coveralls you blagged from elsewhere have other logos on etc. Personally I don’t think it is unreasonable for a company to request you don’t wear other companies logos when sub-contracting for them, i.e unbadged, but if they want you to wear their logo then they should provide. If a company wants a specific colour apart from ‘standard’ orange or red then it’s a bit unreasonable to expect agency guys to have to keep a whole selection of their own coveralls in various non-standard colours.

Most places can usually find you coveralls etc if your bag gets lost when travelling out to job, or if the laundry shrinks your coveralls or you rip the arse out of them.

As for employment and Health & Safety laws in UK, it does state that ‘the employer is to provide ppe’, so if working PAYE agency (rather than Ltd company/self-employed) you would think the agency should be providing it as ‘the employer’, but apparently they are not legally obliged to for some reason. Incidentally, some agencies do provide additional insurance cover over the statutory minimum, even for guys working Ltd Co or self-employed.

temp

[James McLauchlan]

Day rate scum-bags, mince around taking the best money from anyone they can…..

The Finger

Interesting view that…

Boy I like these… we get them from time to time 🙂

I guess, by that missive, you mean that you employees don’t want to be paid the best money and would rather just do the job for a reasonable sum and accept that others get paid more because surely, for you, it must be reward enough to feel that you are a valuable company team member.

I’m only guessing because I am day rate and, in 20 years, have never been in the enviable position of having job security and lower income rolled into one useless package to the point where I am as bitter about it as you seem to be.
You might also think you have job security because you signed a contract that seems to say that.
You probably pay income tax too….. What’s it like?

Yeah… maybe I should look for a real job… get a slot as an employee on less money, apply for leave each year, pay tax and watch my income dwindle by about 40% p/a.
On second thoughts, I’ll give that a miss I reckon.

supply your standard PPE.

Ah…. back on topic… Yeah good idea… I can afford too, but it seems that it’s the offshore contractors who employ us ‘day rate scum’ want us to look like their employee clones and not the free spirits that we are. If your bosses see fit to do it that way and save me money then so be it.. who am I to say no?

[temp]

black fingernail etc

Ah yes, the old day-rate/agency versus salaried rears its ugly head again. Are there actually guys out there who really resent their company providing ppe to agency guys – you would think it was coming out of their own pocket. As mentioned, if a company wants you to wear their logo or a specific colour then it should be down to them, or else be happy with unbadged offshore-approved red or orange clothing brought to site by the agency contractor. Ok, it does look unprofessional to be on a job wearing a competitors logo. How about velcro badges?!

There are many day-raters and agency freelancers who have in the past been in salaried staff positions, and people moving around the companies over the years sometimes going back to salaried after being day-rate etc, to suit their personal situation at the time and the state of the employment market.

The minority of salaried guys who do have a serious chip on their shoulder about day-raters and agency guys – rather than just the normal friendly-ish banter, are usually the ones who have never done it themselves, perhaps due to a lack of confidence in their own ability to survive in the market outside. It’s an age-old thing common to many industries. Staff guys that have actually been out in the marketplace themselves usually do have a bit more respect for day-raters/agency, and recognise the need for both permanent and temporary personnel in a fluctuating industry.

temp

[Andy Shiers]

I’ll go along with that 🙂

[TheBaron]

Earlier last year I phoned my new contractor and asked if my blue coveralls were ok for the job. He/they said "Yes". I got to the site and all hell broke loose! You can’t wear blue in ‘my’ field(yes, he was a SPAM!).
"Okidokey, gimme a pair of covvies that don’t offend thee, and I’ll pay for them through an invoice deduction." I says.
"We make it our policy to not provide PPE to non-salaried personel." He blarts.
"OK, me go home then?" I ask.
"No, borrow a pair from an AB." He replied.

I always take a pair of logo’d-up covvies (usually arch-rival logo) and a pair of boots. Glicks and hats normally grow (at a great rate)on the top shelf at the back of the shack, so they are not a problem.

[Andy Shiers]

Unless you have a big nut like Baron’s
Then ya have to use a sodersorb container in its place

[TheBaron]

Lastboy, you should edit your post! 😳 The plural of ‘nut’ is ‘nuts’. Thanks anyway for the compliment. 8)

[Andy Shiers]

I was talking about the top end of ya torso dude not what’s hanging around your knees 😆

[Scott Beveridge]

😆 😆 😆

It never ceases to amaze me!!! I’ve come across this situation twice and my sides hurt for a week!!

Baron,
I make it a point to go into the wardrobe, and source (one ot) the "arch-rivals colors" prior going to a jobsite – stir the pot… Unless, of course, the said PPE isn’t approved by the client…

George Carlin, my (older) northern neighbors will know of, did an excellent piss-take of footie colors. Anyone remember??

[rovbionic]

Done both the company tech and agencey and usually goes against the grain to have the clients competitions nname dashing about.

I have never been refused a set of the host clients coveralls…me things a little proffessional edicit goes a look way….or one might goes as far as call it common siense.

As far as UKPS ….can’t beat their kit bag.

[Andy Shiers]

I even opened up a charity shop selling second – hand overalls to the ‘Retired Pilots Guild’ for gardening 😀

[Savante]

HSE at work act 1992 – I quote

An employer cannot ask for money from an employee for PPE, whether it is returnable or not. THIS INCLUDES AGENCY WORKERS IF THEY ARE LEGALLY REGARDED AS YOUR EMPLOYEES.

Basically, if you are an agency guy and on contract (or actually even on someones work site) you are an employee and your health and safety is the responsibility of the site owner/employer.

END OF.

[Savante]

So basically the companies are obliged by statute. If they try and charge you, they are breaking the law.

Arch-rival and really messed up ovvies are a great solution, but I think the velcro logo idea is excellent. Maybe we could go the whole hog and get shoulder lapel things too like the helicopter pilots?

Seriously, who’s bothered by a company handing out 50 quid of equipment to protect someone elses health? Even the oil majors don’t care. It’s insignificant compared to the cost of an LTI. Come on!

[Author]

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