trouble on a contract with knee pads

[marbleman]

i was told i should use knee pads on a contract by health and safety 2 days ago . i refused and i was told to leave site has anyone else had this problem before.
i have tried using them but it just gives me a back ache ,

 

[White Room]

It's been a few years since working on site but never had a mention of having to wear knee pads

 

[Ajax123]

HSE Web Communities - Construction Discussion Forum - PPE

This might be of interest

 

[Prem Tiler]

worlds gone mad!

You tried padded trousers?

In the knee area not the crutch

 

[White Room]

The Alpro knee pads are king

 

[marbleman]

trying to find out if this is law, as i must admit never heard this one before, and what could i say never been asked before.

 

[Ajax123]

Wearing knee pads is not law.

Carrying out a risk assesment on tasks carried out by contractors and subcontractors is law and if the level of risk dictates that Knee Pads are a sensible and reasonable precaution to limit the health and safety risk to the operative then they ought ot be worn. Deliberate failure to comply with these precautions would lead the employer to court for negligence and deliberate refusal of the the operator to comply with a reasonable request based on a suitable risk assesment would lead a subcontractor to a similar position. To seek a reasonable exemption would probably require a medical conditiona but this in turn would probably preclude an operative from fulfilling a subcontract anyway. I think......

 

[marbleman]

as for suitable risk assesment on knee pads , i can tell you that i have never been comfortable wearing them as it causes me low back pain, reasons is that it alters my stance when kneeing , i know it may only be by 25-50mm from the floor but causes more problems with me, no one is the same and if you have never used them and dont have a problem then it should not be forced on to you by anyone,
I think its a issue for my doctor now and maybe legal,

 

[doug boardley]

after wearing knee pads all my working life, inserts and wrap arounds, I'm still waitng for the 7th operation on my left knee.... HSE can stick their mandates right up where the sun don't shine, because they know sod all!!

 

[marbleman]

sorry to hear that doug , i have been lucky with my knees, but maybe because i never used knee pads and so my knees naturally became pads,

 

[Stan001]

Ouch guys – you’re tougher than me, Id hate to kneel on a nail – been there done that. Did a floor yesterday and got lazy, left the pads outside in the van, boy can I feel it today. (I’m going to start a poll on this just for fun)
Back to thread – ok, putting my house build hat on again. I’m betting that regardless of whether knee pads are covered by health and safety I bet it’s a line of smallprint in the main contractors insurance contract. I have to display safety signs and point them out to my trades to keep my backside covered for my site insurance! Probably the same situation. I’m guessing.

 

[hillhead]

Knee pads.kneeling pad.trouser inserts.nothing,surely it is our own preference what we use! These idiots know nothing in practice i fear and have the audacity to kick people off sites! Good luck marbleman

 

[stevee]

£12 for work strides with knee pockets from machinemart, might be worth biting the bullet while on that site buddy

 

[RockCeramics]

Im sorry but i just dont get it?
why end your tiling life span shorter by had an opp on your knees.

 

[Terry Cottar]

I've always worn knee pads and it is in my employees contracts that they have to wear them. Having said that I also supply them so thay have no expense. The problem is each site has rules and it is how they are interpreted either with common sense or not. A bit like being made to wear a hard hat when tiling a finished house on site. What does that tell you?

tel

 

[Gazzer]

I've always worn knee pads and it is in my employees contracts that they have to wear them. Having said that I also supply them so thay have no expense. The problem is each site has rules and it is how they are interpreted either with common sense or not. A bit like being made to wear a hard hat when tiling a finished house on site. What does that tell you?

tel

They dont trust the bloke who fitted the ceiling :lol:

 

[Perry]

yes they can throw you off site for not wearing them

 

[diamondtiling]

I have pad inserts, would never work without them and to be honest if I am on site then I make sure my lads wear them as well, I knelt on a nail many moons ago, very sore on the bum because you have to have a tetanus jab.

:yikes:

 

[Perry]

a few years ago working in Taunton and a labour working for the contractor was carying two box's of tiles which were over 25 kg he was told by me and my Foreman a and by the contractors Foreman not to several times but he kept doing it well the outcome was that he hurt his back not by lifting the tiles imo but claimed he did he sued them and the judge said he should have been removed from site as we didn't he won the case

 

[CBTC]

I wouldnt have much issue with kneepads being assesed as being required. Hardhats in interiors fit out, non overhead worked areas more so. Like others - when I have fixers working for me I supply them for use.
I used to not use, or need, pads but realised its just pointless in not using them - knees are delicate, and our trades requirement for continual working on them means a likelyhood of harm. So I've tried various types. The arrival of the pads in pockets are a great improvement and I have them in overalls and separate trousers. Whats the point of increasing the risk of knee damage and pain??
Yes the HS rules on some sites get us worked up...but PSE is nothing. Wait til a PM takes issue with a procedure and asks for a written definition of ' a rag ' for wasting your time guys !!! Yup, really :mad2:

 

[doug boardley]

I've always worn knee pads and it is in my employees contracts that they have to wear them. Having said that I also supply them so thay have no expense. The problem is each site has rules and it is how they are interpreted either with common sense or not. A bit like being made to wear a hard hat when tiling a finished house on site. What does that tell you?

tel

who pays for the cracked bath when the hard hat falls off:smilewinkgrin:

 

[White Room]

In the early years of working on sites in the 70's guys were up the pub at dinner time and fighting on site, guys would ride the hoists on one job until it gave way and two guys were injured when there was a sudden stop at the bottom.

My brother was on a site, again in the 70's, the scaffold had no hand rail and were talking high due to the tower cranes on site.
A guy jumped from the roof of a building onto the the scaffold, it swayed and he went over the top and hit the tower crane on his way down.
Before any HSE turned up they put a hand rail onto the scaffold, fast.

My partner was working in the offices of the main contractor who was doing part of the M25 in Hertfordshire.
A chippy had to do about half hours work on a flyover/bridge on some shuttering and did'nt use his safety harness bacause of the length of time he would be working at the hight he did'nt bother clipping himself to the scaffold, he fell to his death.

Health and Safety, we do need them it's us hating the inconvenience of having to wear hats and the like and when we don't and when there's an incident we need someone to blame for our missgivings

 

[RockCeramics]

so true whitebeam.
one of my first things before a site visit is PPE hard hat or bump cap if site excepts them safety glasses/ safety goggles if digging up. gloves, steel toe boots On any lul site only boots ,no safety shoes. steel can not be showing on boots. dust masks if digging up with impact goggles on. on some sites your not to wear t shirts. no alcohol 8 or 12 hrs before entering site. 3 health & safety tests to pass before entering Entry permit .Atkins passport. cscs. the list is so long icant remember them all.
And to think them bankers / city boys can go for 2 hr beer lunch breaks and **** up the whole uk financal system crazy world we live in.
But if i was told that i was going to lose an eye today cos i wont wear glasses , i reckon i`d put those glasses on.
LOVE YOUR BODY AND YOUR BODY WILL LOVE YOU.
Safety first it might feel strange or uncomfortable for a bit but time will pass and it`ll` all feel natural.

 

[Perry]

steel shows through your boots after 2 weeks in my job floors day and night if they all applied that rule i would have to put my prices up lol

 

[murf]

steel shows through your boots after 2 weeks in my job floors day and night if they all applied that rule i would have to put my prices up lol

Same here.