Building Site etiquette or top tips?

[tanzoid]

I am leaving the Navy after 15 years as a Electronic Engineer and I have just retrained as an electrician (2391, 2382, Level 2 EAL cert for Domestic Elect Installers and ECS card application in the post).
A local Company has kindly offered me a work trial on a building site.
As I have never worked on a building site are there any tips anyone can give me on how to act on site and what to expect?

 

[R1CH-G]

justy turn up and crack on, but dont rush about all the time, or youll be told that your licking arse. Look at how the other fellas are doing things and work out for yourself if your gona emulate them or do it your way. Dont be afraid to ask questions, as nobody knows everything.
Finally be honest and dont tell peiople youve been doing itfor years ect as that will breed contempt

Sage advice.

Just be yourself - one thing though - just agree with the scaffolders whatever crap they come out with, they're all insane. People who are crazy enough to wear shorts in the middle of winter half way up a semi completed scaffold are to be avoided.

 

[LukeD]

Sage advice.

Just be yourself - one thing though - just agree with the scaffolders whatever crap they come out with, they're all insane. People who are crazy enough to wear shorts in the middle of winter half way up a semi completed scaffold are to be avoided.

Scaffolders are lunatics on day release.

 

[gpz900jim]

dont let anyone push you around, once one does it, it then becomes the national sport. Nip it in the bud

 

[whats an rb4]

kinda depends on how big the site is really but the best way is honesty .as previous dont try to hard to impress the gaffa it will put the other lads back up ! have had two experiances with people who have tried it on in as much as a guy who worked for me installing pyro 1.5mm four cores on a thorn addressable in a hospital he was an excellent operative in every way really had best results as far as ends down out of nearly thirty sparks (agency rabble )sorry anyone out there who is in the agency thing (times have changed and any work at mo is better than no work)but seriously iknow some good sparks who work agency but two thirds of em....well never mind. it was only when the alarm jobs ran out and strangly he asked if he could do the wiring of the office /changing ect of the staff quarters in the officers mess that i found out .its funny how a two way shows things up lol .he was a joiner who had had his mate show him how to make a few ends off in his shed i had no choice but to let him go,thing is if i had known i could have and would have arranged things so he could stop on .youll be ok just be realistic and up front dont get through to much workunless its that type of site just test the water and find out how much is expected of you fron gaffers view and from lads view then gauge it from ther

 

[mogga]

Hard hats- if you have to buy your own due to a shortage, sneak it in so nobody knows you bought it yourself, and never a white one as thats site manager colours

some sites have specific hard hat colours ( White Managers green first aider Yellow everyother tom dick n harry)others its free for all some of the bigger sites have HiViz colours as well Orange being used a lot for Qualifications IPAF PASMA ect
As for TIPS remember your in Civy street dont go on about your navy days
do listen and observe other trades and guys
do expect micky taking about navy
as already said Dont polish your boots (if you get a new leather pair drag them behind the car for a couple of miles )or tools and Defo DONT Iron a crease on your overalls trousers ect
Have fun and above alll KEEP to the safety rules on site ( Some sites operate a Yellow/Red card) and others have HnS guys who prowel and pounce when least expected
also DONT adress the gavver as "SIR" everyones your M8 till they cheese you off then call them what you want

 

[Graeme Harrold]

No more -
Going ashore
Using the heads
Wheres the galley?
And its Mr Lefty and Righty not port and starboard......

Youll be fine as Im sure you have seen worse on ship...............

12 months ex-Army and doing fine

 

[Sintra]

Yep no bulkheads, deckheads, messes, decks or any other navy talk.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk.

 

[thekingiam]

because of there usualy problems with staff, there is a custom of always blaming the electrician for any faults as the one that has left even if you know damn well it was your fault, changing this tradition and putting your hands up could lead to disiplinary action or a tut.
also if any tools go missing, you say ' do you think it might of been that guy that left? ' this works best if you know someone is leaving, but always remember to wait until you are sure they have actualy gone as a thick lip hurts.
also any scrap copper is usualy collected, you will be instructed by your supervisor that its split equaly between the electricians but dont tell anyone. this is lies the supervisor always comes back gives you a couple of quid and says maybe the scrappy guy ripped him off. the best way is have 2 tool boxes with you everyday when there is a load of swa going empty your one tool box and fill it with copper.

 

[grantr37]

I remember one site I went to start work on, the day before I arrived one of the workers said something nasty to a worker that was there who never made a point of speaking to anyone and sat in his car at breaks........apparently he went mental and beat up the whole site, went through about 40 blokes and it took a riot van full of cops to drag him off...then he had to get tied up in a padded cell.....
at least it was the day before I started, would have been a crap first day otherwise....

 

[somersetsparks]

And you are going to have to bite the bullet and eat food from some really shady places that would make a green lid puke, you cant go "uck is that roll cooked right" just have to gulp it down and wash it away as fast as possible with a can of fizzy juice, or if really bad just say "thats shy te "and throw it aside, theres a peculiar thing about being seen to eat the same as everybody else, I dont understand it but its there.....

Yeah your right there is something funny about eating the same thing as everyone else, strange innit?

Also bear in mind if its your first day on site, you will will be driving to get whatever shy te it is, for everyone. (providing there isnt a canteen on site) and, you will be responsible for collecting monies, and ensuring the order is correct, so speak clearly when addressing the man at the burger van, double check what he gives you, a mistake here could be a lethal blow, setting you back weeks!

 

[tanzoid]

Thanks for all the advice off everyone, would never of guessed the importance of the burger van.

So to summarise:-

Don't wear orange,
Avoid scaffolders,
Eat with and what everyone else does,
Hate plumbers,
Ask questions,
Expect new boy ---- taking,
Get on with the job.

sorry if I missed anything.

 

[thekingiam]

yeah the scrap copper!! tut tut.
and a few makita drills.

 

[robsparky1975]

Sitework you will will either like it or loath it,they will take the ---- call you captain pugwash,whos turn is it in the barrell etc,but if you dont bite they will soon give up,most other trades are the same as us just normal blokes,they will soon start chatting away,dont walk any where near scaffolders when they are working,absolute animals throw the poles and bits without regard for anyones safety,neanderthals.dont leave your tools unattended as people have a habit of glueing things to the floor,infact bloke i know had his glued to the ceiling,get used to using the site teapsoon(if its not completely brown its clean enough),good luck,you might even enjoy it,ive met some good people on site,changed my perspective on the other trades.

 

[thekingiam]

also if you don't eat with the others it gives them a chance to slag you off behind your back, these conversations increase in size and content until before you know it everyone wants you dead!! and your next in the firring line.

 

[malcolmsanford]

Whatever you do don't show an hairy a###d labourer where the golden rivet is