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Boots and saddles

rockershovel

Entry posted by rockershovel in Slice of life

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So, I'm back on the staff of a civil engineering company, which is pretty much the last thing I expected for what is likely, the last lap of my career. 

 

There's a general purge going on, of contract employment as IR35 bites deeper. There's a lot of pushback, because civil engineering simply doesn't pay enough for what it demands, the work-life balance is seriously lacking and working conditions are no better than ever. 

 

However there is an acute shortage of labour and skills and rates are rising. I still wouldn't travel any distance for work under the conditions offered, having become accustomed to conditions in other sectors. Who knows what Boris is doing with HS2, but the next couple of years are going to be pretty nuts on the recruiting front ... and 2-3 years is a long time in my present career state. 

 

 But, right now I'm in steady work within an easy commute, so I'm going with that. 

 

As ever, PPE is an issue and I can't wear my drillers wellies (until I get the Risk Assesment signed off, anyway). I've also thrown out my old lace up boots and gone for the Red Wing Boa boots I got from the Slimdrill rep in Yarmouth (freebies are back on the oilpatch, folks!). Same goes for my full brim hard hat. I've got a big issue of cheapo stuff from Arco which has gone straight in the back of the car, I've got Helly Hanson and Cofra, Black Lader (blackadders as they are known over here), I don't need Arco cheap junk for a British winter! 

 

Edited by rockershovel

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rockershovel

Just had a deeply frustrating night involving another issue with another subcontractor who appear to be incapable of reading their own procedures, or of providing any sort of effective supervision or continuity of their site personnel. 

 

The erosion of quality in the civils sector is thoroughly depressing, none of them would have even been considered, let alone placed in contract in the oil patch...

 

Ho hum. Seems unwise to walk out on steady money in these uncertain times, but the temptation to simply walk away is definitely real. My erstwhile Dutch employers seem to be circling ever closer to actually being placed under contract on the project....

 

 

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ess1uk

So many seem to forget what PPE is for.

if it is not fit for purpose then what’s the point?

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rockershovel
On 24/02/2024 at 05:29, ess1uk said:

So many seem to forget what PPE is for.

if it is not fit for purpose then what’s the point?

It ticks the box of having been issued. Arco isn't the cheap rubbish supplied by some suppliers, to be fair. 

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