Should agency hands be supplied free PPE at the worksite?

[Andy Shiers]

When you say halfway around the world ?
You still travel by Llama or donkey or gone up a peg and fly Aeroflop ?
I agree with you on the weight restriction thing though
Those Oil company tosspots that made that rule should have thier bollocks nailed to a barn door 👿
Mind you seeing RovSuper with a bag the same size as himself climbing up the platform steps reminds me of a David Attenborough Film 😆
The one where a dung beetle is pushing a piece of turd up a hill 😆
As for the locker < I don’t give sweets to persuade riggers to share them 🙂

[Savante]

11.5kg limit?? – we are clearly spoiled in the north sea then!!! I’m planning on taking a serious amount of crap with me this afternoon as I will be a pure bread rig pig for the next two weeks within swimming distance of the brough and it was rather full with inactivity last time!

I’ll report this afternoon with just how much crap I’m forced to leave at the heli-port.

The humble pie has been warmed up for me I’m sure !!

[Andy Shiers]

Atleast you carry your gear 🙂
Rovsuper uses his feet as well 😆

[Savante]

if there is a limit on choppers- i certainly didn’t see it – i just took about 25-30kgs of stuff onboard. We are truly spoilt !!! 😆

[Ray Shields]

Norway (and some other places) limit the weight that an individual bag can weigh (about 10kg), this is not an overall weight limit.

Its a manual handling limit so people dont have to carry a bag weighing more than 10kg. So you get there, have to split your bag up into 10kg amounds and then the despatcher comes along and lifts the whole bloody lot up in one go! Whats the point 😯

[Andy Shiers]

Yeah , 😆 Try coming down from the helideck with several bags instead of one 😀 , People infront of you and behind and overly eager personnel trying to rip your life jacket off !
Very comical 😀 And all because some bloke who doesnt eat his shreddies at the heliport has to lift the bag from the trolley into the chopper 😕

[TheProphet]

It’s ok for the rig pigs on there 2 on 2 off rota going offshore with there man bags.
But for us ROV types who have to cart all our gear from job to job it’s bloody hopeless. 😈

[temp]

Never really found it a problem, and carry all own ppe etc with me, including;
2 sets overalls (1 thick, 1 thin), wet weather gear set, hard hat c/w ear defenders, boots, gloves, fleece jacket. Plus 5 T-shirts, long-sleeve shirt, 2 work trousers, 8 pants and socks, trainers/indoor shoes, washkit, usual paperwork crap have to take. Don’t usually bother with laptop pc and accompanying paraphernalia anymore even though can get some really lightweight ones now, and have mp3 player on phone – pain if have to leave it at heliport in Norway etc. Don’t bother with sports kit as never see inside the gymn (although should do really).

Weight and bulk does add up a bit more if taking padded overalls and cold-weather gear etc for winter jobs. Always carry a smaller holdall for work gear inside main holdall, quick and easy to seperate at heliport for 2 x 10kg max or whatever it is now, plus small rucsack for valuable items when travelling – which goes inside larger holdall if helicopter flight at other end.

Both holdalls have shoulder straps so can carry both and still have 1 hand free on stairs etc., and compression straps to reduce bulk.
All adds up to approx. 17kg usually, depending how much reading material taken (more for long trips), and if cold climate stuff required.
always prefer to join ship in port, helicopter becoming more of a pain.

Not sure what people are taking with 25kg+ or so? Briefcases seem a bit of a waste of time and a pain to carry if have 2 holdalls already, but some people like the image it gives I think?

I’m often amazed at the amount of male grooming products younger guys often seem to take away, it’s like sharing a cabin with a woman, the bathroom shelf lined up with bottles of this and tubes of that, what’s that all about – must be getting old, or maybe just used to roughing it a bit more.

I never leave my stuff on board even if think I’m returning, having previously lost stuff whilst away or never gone back etc. Don’t like regular long-term stints anyway.

temp

[Andy Shiers]

So , how often are you away for then Temp ?
Do work most of the time in Norway or Northsea ?

[temp]

lostboy

Don’t do so much offshore work nowadays, for last couple of years I’ve mostly been doing onshore electrical/electronics contracting work UK and worldwide. Can earn similar as offshore, with better conditions, staying in decent hotels for a few weeks at a time with generous expenses – drinking and eating out every night, plus business class flights etc. Better than 4+ weeks in a tiny cabin, no drink or women etc and a cattle-class long-haul flight overseas, with maybe the odd day or 2 either end of trip or a port call if lucky. After 14yrs ROV, 13 of which freelance contract, before that 9 yrs armed forces, am enjoying a bit of luxury rather than being treated like crap. Also do some UK-based workshop/office-based development/project planning work in between trips.

Still manage to do some offshore agency work now and then if a reasonable gap between contracts, as office-based work bores the crap out of me, and with rates going up it’s looking attractive again.
Started alternative work when it all went quiet a few years back, decided needed alternatives and contacts in other non-oil&gas industries for when the slump years happen. Seems pretty good just now, loads of work, rates going up, but can all change.
Not easy to slide quickly into other work in different sector if only been doing offshore stuff for several years.

Do still enjoy ROV’ing, more so now that it’s not my main employ.
Will work anywhere, UK N.Sea, Norway, Middle East, SEA, although tend to only do shorter jobs at present which limits scope a bit, also been sticking to small vehicles where possible last few years, which again limits things.

How about you?

temp

[Andy Shiers]

All over the bloody place for the last twenty years !
Hence the need to take everything I need (work or pleasure ) with me 😀
Hence the big bag !

[temp]

lostboy

Must be a lot of off-shift pleasure involved if your bag is that big? – the mind boggles. I’ve seen guys take guitars, sax’s etc, oil painting kits, tins and tins full of body building supplements, folders full of distance learning study material, games consoles, model-making kits, golf clubs, and all sorts of other wierd sh*t.
Me, I’m content with a few paperbacks, some music and a small collection of adult material.

temp

[Andy Shiers]

You obviously do not travel that far away from home then , And I have been on many rigs , ships Or hotels where clothing is not washed in time, therefore you stink if you are in a hot country !
Ausralians smell anyway as they only have a shower once a month so they are an exception 😆
And in quite a few places watching the local frying -pan or raghead on TV is not what I call entertainment and a reading book lasts one flight there so all your wordly goods is usually taken with you 🙄
Stops the mrs from nicking things also 😀

[Andy Shiers]

Plus sex toys 😳

[temp]

lostboy

Yeah, been on ships in middle east etc where nothing but local tv and maybe some crap videos for 6 weeks, you soon read any books/mags. I usually have some sort of ongoing madcap design project on the back-burner that I can work on, just need pen and paper and what’s in me head.

Most places I’ve been the last few years seem to have plenty DVD’s, internet access etc., and you can always talk to people if not sick of the sight of them after a shift. Sometimes having the tv/dvd in your cabin or laptop etc to play with can have a detrimental effect, stops people socialising after shift, with everyone away hiding in their cabin, although nice to have privacy if you want it.

Tend to avoid the sh*thole places on crap boats/rigs if can help it, unless tricked into it, and not into long trips any more. May be too selective, but that’s the beauty of being freelance with other means of contract employment outside of ROV.

Also it’s quite often good to be unencumbered by the noise, chaos and babble of electronic gadgetry of modern living and have some time to contemplate the universe with no distractions.

Laundry only really a problem if they shrink or lose it – I never put it all in at once. Actually prefer if I do my own laundry (as long as an automatic machine!).

Anyway, should agency personnel be supplied with ppe? (original thread!).
I don’t think it takes up so much space or weight that you have to leave your collection of Asian Babes mags, your hair gel and beauty products and your laptop at home.

If it was mandatory that they had to supply it for you, you would pay for it some other way. Most people blag ppe anyway and build up a stock over time, it’s just the badge/logo thing that seems to be an issue.
Every time my bag is lost or delayed going out to a job (about 5 or 6 times now past few years), I’ve been supplied with full set of ppe, keeps me restocked.

Velcro badges is the answer.

temp

[Author]

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