Lone working problems

[Ford Forester]

I am a sole trading forestry contractor and have recently found it difficult to take on jobs due to lone working legislation. I am unsure as to the solution. I can either sub out the felling, but then I would have to look for twice as much work as I would need for myself. If I take on someone to just stack for me/ general labourer, then it's difficult finding them work to do when I am extracting timber for other contractors, but I can hardly then lay them off until I need them again. I am happy working as a sole trader, working the hours I want without having to pick up/ drop off young labourers or source double the work only to outsource it just to meet health and safety rules. Any advice?

[Kev Stephenson]

Sub contract labour to use when you need. Usually costs a bit more per day or hour but you have the flexibility.

[Ewan Murray]

Ever thought about getting college students in to help out so they can learn or see the job first hand, I'm not sure about the legality of it though.

[Ford Forester]

Yeah, thought about that, but It does feel like finding work only to give it away. The good thing is that I get to do the timber extraction, so can make money that way. My wife sat in car doing her college homework one day last week, and we had a nice picnic, but it isn't a permanent solution!

[Ford Forester]

Thought about students/ apprentices too, Ewan, but most of them can't drive. During summer months, I like to knock the hours out by extracting timber in late afternoon having done a full day on chainsaw. If I have to pickup or drop off, it's not worth going back to site. Apprentices only cost £25 a day though

[eggsarascal]

Could you not sub in labour has and when you need it? I also work alone alot in the summer months. A few years ago now when i was subbing in to the local water company i took ill whilst in the middle of no where the mobile phone signal was dropping in and out i managed to get through to the emergency services only for me to loose signal part way through the call, i was very lucky that an old boy walking his dog came across me and was able to call an ambulance on his phone (different network), so please when lone working let people know where you are and what time you should be home.

[Stephen Blair]

You dont have to find twice the amount of work, you just do half the amount of work twice as quick:thumbup1:

Seriously though, if you want to do what you are doing you have to find a buddy or an employee. You are doing something you shouldn't and thinking of the advantages, and considering safe working practices as a dis advantage.

You need to change your thinking:001_smile:

You can't drag yourself out from under a root plate and the hospital wont hear your cries from help when you have done a woopsy:thumbdown:

[Ford Forester]

I agree with the concerns about lone working, eggs. I do try to liase with keeper or owner etc, signing in and out. I'm just interested as to whether other sole traders have had the same problem. Work is hard to come by, and as a family man, I am not comfortable with having to sub work out. My gut feeling is the apprentice route. But I have some timber extraction work for other contractors. Even if the apprentice is chainsaw trained, he/ she too cannot work on my sites while I am extracting. It's a difficult one!

[Chris Sheppard]

I used to go felling on my own 99% of the time and didn't really worry about it much at the time. Was chatting away to a non forestry mate one night and he put it to me about what I'd do if I had an accident and that got me thinking a lot more about it.

 

I now don't work on my own very much at all - there's usually two of us on site, either both felling or one fellign and one extracting. Yes, need to find a bit more work I suppose but we both were doign our own things anyway so in effect as long as we both still find as much work as we were, we don't need to find much extra if that makes sense?

 

I've always been torn on the apprentice thing - in one way you can nurture them to be what you want, but on the other hand they can be quite time consuming to begin with. Suppose it all boils down to finding the right person.

[Daniël Bos]

Could you not sub in labour has and when you need it? I also work alone alot in the summer months. A few years ago now when i was subbing in to the local water company i took ill whilst in the middle of no where the mobile phone signal was dropping in and out i managed to get through to the emergency services only for me to loose signal part way through the call, i was very lucky that an old boy walking his dog came across me and was able to call an ambulance on his phone (different network), so please when lone working let people know where you are and what time you should be home.

 

just so you know (you might know this already) phone 112 not 911!

112 will use whatever network there is availabe, wether it's yours or not. Dialing 112 also helps them to locate you if they have to (god alone knows how they do that trick). third benefit is that it's international (well all across europe anyway, does anyone live anywhere else?).