What are the worst conditions you have worked in?

[1shortcircuit]

As an electrician I'm sure many of you have some horror stories to tell of absolutely diabolical conditions or places you have had to work in.

What is your worst and when do you know where to draw the line? Have you ever refused to do a job because of the conditions?


I am a telescopic forklift operator at present and recently walked off of a site due to them (site manager and his trusty sidekick) instructing me to operate a machine which I had inspected and found two hydraulic leaks.

I advised of the concerns and refused to bring it into service until a fitter had been out and inspected and put right the faults Unfortunately the site being busy and workers being supplied with materials appeared to be of more importance:mad

For those of you that may be unfamiliar with what a Telescopic Forklift is

 

[Guest123]

Farm buildings are probably the worst I've been in, ones that the farmer has had built in the spring but doesn't get them wired up till the autumn. The livestock have been in them for months so theres the proverbial everywhere.

Gets all over you, your tools your van. Smell gets in your clothes, your hair. generally not nice.

 

[1shortcircuit]

Farm buildings are probably the worst I've been in, ones that the farmer has had built in the spring but doesn't get them wired up till the autumn. The livestock have been in them for months so theres the proverbial everywhere.

Gets all over you, your tools your van. Smell gets in your clothes, your hair. generally not nice.

I know exactly what you mean there

I worked on the construction of the gas pipeline a couple of years ago that went from Exeter to Plymouth.

One of the things the company I was working for ensured they did was try to look after the local farmers. One of them happened to be a Pig Farmer, we often went to collect hay that was purchased from the farmer and on two occasions I was sent on a 45 minute drive in my machine to assist with raising a man rider and farmer up to the roof of the large shed where all the pigs lived so that it could be jet washed... Rats, spiders birds nests and a general build up of S*** over the years was flying EVERYWHERE

As you can imagine, the c**p went all over my machine and absolutely stank for days after

Fair Play to the farmer though, he insisted that I stopped for breakfast with him and his family

 

[Guest123]

I know exactly what you mean there

I worked on the construction of the gas pipeline a couple of years ago that went from Exeter to Plymouth.

I worked on a gas pipeline too....Milford Haven to Gloucester. Spent many a day in a man cage on the front of a 535.

 

[1shortcircuit]

I worked on a gas pipeline too....Milford Haven to Gloucester. Spent many a day in a man cage on the front of a 535.

You're a braver man than I am, I know how twitchy those booms can get

I am also a certified slinger/signaller and was once working with a crane operator that told me about a time where he was working with a man rider with two occupants, one of which was giving him a hard time... a bit silly considering his jib reached over a canal He told me that he warned the guy he would be taking a dip if he carried on... the story ended with the guy being dunked up to his waist:lol I bet seeing it would have been priceless

 

[diditrain]

Had to work in a pig shed once, place full of pigs. Some of them lying dead with there guts etc, hanging out where the others had been eating them.
It was a hot sunny day, smell was atrocious and to top it off you had to keep swatting the flies that kept crashing into you

 

[Sintra]

Worked in the service tunnels below a large hospital. Tunnels contained steam pipes and were roasting good point was 30 minutes in 10 minutes out so plenty of breaks.

Recently was sent to do PIR on a flat. On entering noticed large number of dogs and s*** all over the floor.
Done a very very quick visual and on entering the kitchen was met with fleas jumping about the worktops and festering food everywhere.

Didn't go any further and left as it was a H&S issue, Boss was ok with it and reported conditions to Landlord.

 

[Guest123]

Worked in the service tunnels below a large hospital. Tunnels contained steam pipes and were roasting

I know your pain!!!

 

[ian.settle1]

Worked in the service tunnels below a large hospital. Tunnels contained steam pipes and were roasting good point was 30 minutes in 10 minutes out so plenty of breaks.

Recently was sent to do PIR on a flat. On entering noticed large number of dogs and s*** all over the floor.
Done a very very quick visual and on entering the kitchen was met with fleas jumping about the worktops and festering food everywhere.

Didn't go any further and left as it was a H&S issue, Boss was ok with it and reported conditions to Landlord.

Should of informed Enviromental Health as well

 

[1shortcircuit]

I was once asked to walk through a culvert that passed under a railway track. It filled with water when the tide was in and emptied to ankle depth when the tide was out. It must have been a good 20 FT long.. Yeah right!!! I had the Health and Safety officer down there right away and he said that the Bauer pipe that we were running either had to be pushed through from one end to the other or another route had to be found:cool

We managed to push the pipe through but it was major effort

 

[Risteard]

Farm buildings are probably the worst I've been in, ones that the farmer has had built in the spring but doesn't get them wired up till the autumn. The livestock have been in them for months so theres the proverbial everywhere.

Gets all over you, your tools your van. Smell gets in your clothes, your hair. generally not nice.

I worked for a spark who was also a farmer for a couple of years so know all about it!

 

[Mr Mark Sparks]

went to do a pir on a vacant pub
it smelled a bit so went to look at the mail on the door mat to work out how long it had been empty
all the letters were covered in fleas
went outside to ring the office and noticed i was covered top to toe
took off all my clothes and put them in a bag on my roof rack and drove to another job in a pair of overalls
when i got there told my mate and told him to check me because i itched
they were all over my back and he was picked them off with long nose plyers
had to have the van fumigated

 

[Risteard]

Worked in the service tunnels below a large hospital. Tunnels contained steam pipes and were roasting good point was 30 minutes in 10 minutes out so plenty of breaks.

Working in the Nickel Plating lines of Seagate was the same. 15 min break every 30-45 mins. And dressed up like a spaceman while you were in there.

 

[roukel01]

I worked on a gas pipeline too....Milford Haven to Gloucester. Spent many a day in a man cage on the front of a 535.

You're lucky you get a cage, I either get a pallet on the front of a fork lift or a bucket on a loader!! I'll take some pics this week of the factory we work at.... Only one word for it, but I won;t use it on here!

I can think of many dirty places I've worked in in the past, however, I'd rather that than the nursing home we used to work at, smell of cabbage, plus all the old dears with mental issues and other disabilities, the owners wouldn't close the area we worked in and we had all manners of folks wander past my step ladders! Bless em, its not their fault but if I get like that, please shoot me!

 

[Des 56]

Worked in the service tunnels below a large hospital. Tunnels contained steam pipes and were roasting good point was 30 minutes in 10 minutes out so plenty of breaks.

.

Ditto
Salt tablets free of charge as well
I get sweaty remembering the pump rooms


This is not unique ,we may have all done these sorts
On a weekend on a new build old peoples home,the ground rock hard because of the extreem cold,standing at one dist board,sucking away on my twentieth smoke, making off umpteen pyros with numb hands the wind was biting cold and only cement bags to burn for thawing

By the way
The Health and safety nobs dont visit if its out of their comfort zone, too hot,too cold or too dangerous even