Site safety roles and delegation

[jaime bray]

When on site roles and responsibilities are wise to identify prior to work commencement. These roles can vary significantly depending on the business model and staff experience and qualifications.

 

How do you go about delegating the role of site safety coordinator/supervisor? If its your own firm or you're the lead climber, do you allow ground staff to take control of this issue? Admittedly the climber may see things from up above that the ground crew won't have noticed, but who signs off as the sss/ssc, and consequently takes the initiative when a job site safety requirements change?

 

Often the climber is business owner, most qualified etc etc, but when up the tree and concentrating in their own job, can't see things developing outside of their control or line of sight. Do you spend time having little chat before job commencement to clarify these roles? Do you document it within written site assessments?

[Steve Bullman]

A little chat before the job as a rule, letting each person know clearly whats expected of them, and assigning whoever I feel is most suitable/sensible to the task

[AA Teccie (Paul)]

Adopting a "watching brief" here but the premise being by nominating someone 'appropriate', i.e. experienced / confident / competent, to manage the site / ground aspects of the operation they take control when things change, e.g. lots of children arrive near the site, rather than relying on the 'team-leader' who is often up the tree with enough to be thinking about.

 

My experience is that once someone's name is written on the site risk assessment and they're assigned a specific role / duty, such as 'aerial rescue' which is now common place, they feel empowered, and responsible, and act more effectively....just hope they don't ask fer a pay rise

 

Cheers, n watching wiv interest

Paul

[Paul Cleaver]

team brief - risk assessment - make sure everyone is clear - monitor

[AA Teccie (Paul)]

team brief - risk assessment - make sure everyone is clear - monitor

 

"Monitor"...what, and who, meaning "by whom"...oh go on, for completeness, how?

 

Thanks Paul

[Paul Cleaver]

"Monitor"...what, and who, meaning "by whom"...oh go on, for completeness, how?

 

Thanks Paul

 

you should make yourself more clear joke

[AA Teccie (Paul)]

you should make yourself more clear joke

 

Paul , don't know what you mean...I understand myself perfickly...most of the time

[Peasgood]

What do you do when you delegate safety and give clear concise instructions then to find them doing the opposite of what you told them. Happened to me today. Couldn't believe it!

Tore a strip off them and told them I couldn't really understand why I hadn't sacked them.

[AA Teccie (Paul)]

What do you do when you delegate safety and give clear concise instructions then to find them doing the opposite of what you told them. Happened to me today. Couldn't believe it!

Tore a strip off them and told them I couldn't really understand why I hadn't sacked them.

 

Hmmm, time for the reverse psychology approach then, i.e. tell them the opposite of what you actually want them to do

 

Sorry, Friday afternoon.

 

Very frustrating, and potentially dangerous, so record on personnel records and if repeated then enact disciplinary procedures...this assumes, as you've said, the instructions were clear, concise and effectively communicated, AND, ideally, documented on the site risk assessment which they signed.

 

I don't normally advocate the 'stick' approach, generally much preferring the 'carrot', BUT, sometimes, hopefully very few n far between, you just have to...responsibilities of being the boss, n person ultimately responsible for H&S (albeit employees have duties / responsibility too and this action could be in breach of that.)

 

Hope next week's a better one and at least it's the weekend.

 

cheers..

Paul