A good topic,

I have had it commented that i am welcome in the workshop as i try and work with the guys to carry out a job safely but still get it done.

A good example of this was when a lifting operation had to be carried out, this was just before i started here, the guys were moving a largeish piece of equipment, however it requires a specific tool to lift on a crane, which cannot be replicated as it is a part owned by another company that do not allow replicas to be made from drawings etc.

As a result a compromise was needed, the guys purchased high quality 10t webbing slings, more than 4 times the weight limit of the part being lifted, and a plan was discussed to lift the unit with the forklift with lifting attachment and the slings, basically the part had to come out of an assembly about a 2 feet, then be moved about 4m from outside to the workshop floor\entrance.

This work was completed in less than 20 mins, no one was around the unit as it was moved and no one went under it etc.

The QHSE guy wasnt informed of the lift as it was on a saturday when he was off (this said a lot about his attitude TBH) he raised an NCR against the workshop staff.....

The same operation came up about 3 months later, and i oversaw the lift, i informed the guys about what i wasn;t happy with, undoing the bolts while the unit was suspended, so they put in a brace to hold the weight.

The unit was unbolted, lifted by forklift with attachment, and all personell were stood 3m away from the forklift until it was laid down. I had a RA for lifting, drew up a SSoW for the job and made a quick generic plan for lifting with forklift attachment.

The manager said i was very helpfull by allowing the work to proceed with what we had available, but i was simply making sure all precautions were taken.

Its the working with the guys and enterpreting the regulations, not making the guys bend round the regs.

However i have stopped several jobs, such as someone wanting to lift a man up on a pallet truck with a pallet to change a bulb, they were a bit miffed but knew why i couldnt let them do it. We got a scaffold tower a few days later and was done.