Work Shorts?

Chris Hughes said:
Not to disagree with brother Brice but I like my Blaklader shorts......

I like the Blakladder shorts made from lighter weight material.  The Blakladder heavy worker line the material is a very thick poly-cotton blend, too stiff and hot in warm weather.....
 
Anybody ever run into OSHA challenges wearing shorts on the job site?  One company I once worked for had a policy that said if you show up in shorts or flip-flops or non-hard toed boots or without eye/ear protection, you went home for the day and didn't get paid.  They blamed it on OSHA and/or their insurance company, whichever was more convenient or they couldn't get their stories straight. 

[sad]
 
Just had to sit through a four hour safety class in order to do a small one day job out at the new Boeing facility here in Charleston.  People that showed up in shirts ere turned away even though they weren't even working on site that day! 

Not shorts, no sneakers, no work.  I believe it is a combination of OSHA, and insurance on commercial jobs anyway.

Jon
 
Jonhilgen said:
Just had to sit through a four hour safety class in order to do a small one day job out at the new Boeing facility here in Charleston.  People that showed up in shirts ere turned away even though they weren't even working on site that day! 

Not shorts, no sneakers, no work.  I believe it is a combination of OSHA, and insurance on commercial jobs anyway.

Jon

I thought we were the most ott health and safety country lol glad we're not alone. Just the other week me and three other guys turned up to work on a new extension to a school. I was wearing trousers (pants in your language lol) the others were in shorts and got turned away. Anyway after a bit of fuss they were allowed to work in one area.
It was all to do with what they called their cover up policy. Not sure if was to protect us or protect the kids from seeing too much flesh lol.
 
If:

1.  They didn't cost over $200US.

and

2.  I was strong enough to endure the metric ton of criticism, jeering, and ridicule from those around me.

I would seriously consider the kilt/toolbelt from Utilikilts.
 
Joiner 1970,

I enjoy your avatar, great way to lead to  your website. I got to look into how to create one.

Cheers,
Steve
 
Steve R said:
Joiner 1970,

I enjoy your avatar, great way to lead to  your website. I got to look into how to create one.

Cheers,
Steve

how do you use those bar code thingys to go to the sites. do you need a smart phone or can you do it on the pc

why is it dangerous to wear shorts on site. surly its more dangerous to have a overheated and tierd worker
 
Alan m said:
Steve R said:
Joiner 1970,

I enjoy your avatar, great way to lead to  your website. I got to look into how to create one.

Cheers,
Steve

how do you use those bar code thingys to go to the sites. do you need a smart phone or can you do it on the pc

why is it dangerous to wear shorts on site. surly its more dangerous to have a overheated and tierd worker

The following was edited due to trying to type on a smart phone...

About the bar code thingys.... yea they do need a smart phone or an camera hooked up to a computer and software.  I just took my Blackberry out and hit the free app icon, it turned on my camera and took a picture of his avatar off my computer screen and then the program asked "would you like to go to the Website"  and I said yes.  

Dangerous shorts....  in commercial setting it is very standard to require full coverage regardless of heat.  I use to consult for international companies that did maintenance on equipment mainly power generation but also refinery. Think about it, rub up against anything... a steam pipe, a rusted pipe a piece of rough wood and any clothing will protect you a lot more than just skin.

Alan M,

I worked in Ireland for year for the government of Ireland at the MoneyPoint, power generation plant. I lived in County Clair, the town of Ennis.

Everyone had to take a safety course and wear the gear, but Ireland was one of the most relaxed countries about safety issues I have found..... besides China.

On my remodel project sites.  I want the safety gear worn, but I find knee pads a pain over pants, with shorts they don't bind. I'm interested in trying some of the gear that I hear talked about in the work pants thread...

Cheers,
Steve

 
i have to agree about the irish h+s . i have never been asked for a safe pass or seen anyone checking steel toe, hard hats, etc.
althow what i see on us and uk building programs (where the regs should be followed to the letter or set a bad example) they show much worse than i see over here.

i agree that in certain jobs like you mentioned covering everthing up is needed but on a normal job i dont see the problem of good shorts.
 
Gaijin Daiku said:
If:

1.  They didn't cost over $200US.

and

2.  I was strong enough to endure the metric ton of criticism, jeering, and ridicule from those around me.

I would seriously consider the kilt/toolbelt from Utilikilts.

No cojones!!! 

[big grin]  [scared]  [big grin]
 
Show up on my jobsite with shorts or crappy shoes, you are going home. Wear gloves using a circular saw, going home. Don't have basic equipment, going home. Put others at risk with dumb or reckless behaviour, don't ever come back.
My mission is that my people go home safe. I will not allow anyone to jeopardize that.
 
Holzhacker said:
Show up on my jobsite with shorts or crappy shoes, you are going home. Wear gloves using a circular saw, going home. Don't have basic equipment, going home. Put others at risk with dumb or reckless behaviour, don't ever come back.
My mission is that my people go home safe. I will not allow anyone to jeopardize that.

Holzhacker,

I know in some situations shorts are a hazard where do you draw the line.... or are they just banned? What kind of work do you do?

I also have to ask about gloves and a circular saw, I have never found a good written statement way... can you help me find that...as I would like to put it in my employee handbook.

Cheers,
Steve
 
Sparktrician said:
Anybody ever run into OSHA challenges wearing shorts on the job site?  One company I once worked for had a policy that said if you show up in shorts or flip-flops or non-hard toed boots or without eye/ear protection, you went home for the day and didn't get paid.  They blamed it on OSHA and/or their insurance company, whichever was more convenient or they couldn't get their stories straight. 

[sad]
Yeah,on commercial jobs they are pretty strick.Hard hat,long pants,safety glass.etc...etc...
But most residential,it's not as bad.We can still wear shorts!
 
Gaijin Daiku said:
If:

1.  They didn't cost over $200US.

and

2.  I was strong enough to endure the metric ton of criticism, jeering, and ridicule from those around me.

I would seriously consider the kilt/toolbelt from Utilikilts.

I have two workman style kilts.  They are hotter than you think....and I don't mean "look at my sexy legs and pert butt" kind of hot.  They are the heavy carhartt type material and with all the pleats and overlap in the front it's actually like wearing two layers.  Though when welding in the summer they are my cover of choice.  I have the survival version as well and that one is cooler.  I'd put it on the level of mesh shorts with pockets. 
 
I might actually get a couple of those survival kilts for the next time I go out hunting heads of lettuce.  The Romaine can be fierce in my neck of the woods.
 
I hear that a load of #00 is needed to make a good mixed salad out of a head of Romaine. Also if wounded they can really get mean.  I have read they will pull a salad shooter out and use it on you when wounded.  [eek]

Cheers,
Steve
 
Ken Nagrod said:
Thanks for the info, Steve.  Maybe I should just stick with grizzlies?

Now THAT would be a sight - grizzlies in kilts, with scatterguns, chasing rambunctious romaines. 

[big grin]
 
Steve R, for the me question of work shorts isn't one of liability or necessarily safety. Granted there are some safety concerns. Had a sticky worm drive guard not close, my heavy jeans grabbed the blade as the saw kicked down, with shorts on part of my thigh would be gone. For the most part though, I see it more as a potential productivity loss issue that can easily be avoided.
There's lots of crap on rehab jobs. Pieces of lath sticking out, nails, splinters, stuff falling over and swiping you,etc. Even a good clean jobsite has issues for limited time periods. Guy walking around with shorts on, scrapes against something, he'll get scraped or cut and bleed. Depending on the severity of the encounter, I'm losing 5,10, 30 or more minutes of productivity out of that guy. Clean the scrape, stop the bleeding, make sure he is Ok, etc. Then he's also probably going to work a bit slower the rest of the day. Guy with shorts on has to kneel down on the floor to perform a task more productivity loss potential. Kneels down without knee pads and gets something stuck in his kneecap; or he has to go get his knee pads out of the truck. Either way, wasted time.
A guy with work pants on avoids these issues. Work pants can easily absorb at lot of the mentioned encounters and allow the worker to keep on working. At the end of the day, he's been more productive and helped keep the job on schedule.
As far as wearing gloves using circular saws or drills, I've seen too many gloves get caught up on sticky blade guards, grabbed by a splinter or torqued by a drill. As much as the idea of wearing gloves to protect hands seems like a good one. Experience has shown the opposite to be true. Gloves and power tools don't mix well.
My old man was a GC. I've been on jobsites since I was 7 or 8. I still do a lot of residential rehab along with other stuff.
 
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