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When to use H&S Traffic Cones when working?
At what point does everybody take out the traffic cones to mark out a work area outside a shop?
Do you do it when you stick a small sticker to a window?Or when you put a full width sticker on a window?
Or when you are holding a tool?
Or when the ladders come out?
Or when the cherrypicker comes out?It sometimes seems over the top to cone out an entire work area for a 5 minute application, although I spose we are meant to.
H and S here even in small town NZ are getting quite serious, with people on the lookout for violators.
Yesterday I rushed out to do a line of window dots on a shop window, and I get back to my studio before I even realised I had done the whole job without remembering to put up the cones, or wear my hard hat, or flouro vest, or the safety boots!
My bad. I was born before they were even invented. -
2 Replies
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Good question, Simon.
You have already said it yourself, the easiest and quickest option for this type of thing is plastic cones and chains to seal off the perimeter of the area you occupy. They are lightweight and very quick to place out.
Also,
Two small fold-out traffic signs or even cone signs, that slip over the cone.
these signs can have your logo and apologise for the inconvenience or give actual guidance to the pedestrian. It may sound over the top, but it really does keep you in the clear whilst looking more professional to your customers and the public in general.Just keeping these in your van doesn’t take up space and is always handy.
When to use them?
Anywhere the public might interfere with what you are doing, or simply passing by. The last thing you want is to drop a power tool on their head. Equally, you don’t want them bumping against your ladders when you are up them!If you are working inside a busy shop and only using vinyl. they are still handy just to keep people out of your way and let you get on with the job. You also need to keep in mind, “theft” I have had tools lifted out of my van by passersby while parked next to me, but my side door opened to work from, 5 feet from me! I have also had people open and climb inside my cherry-picker truck whilst I have been 30 feet up above their heads, they stole all the power tools, batteries and even one of the lads change from his lunch money. 🤨🤣 Coning areas off helps reduce this type of interference with the general public, but ultimately the general health and safety aspect of it is our goal.
our staff all have workwear and steel-toe cap boots as standard. we do have Vizvest, hardhats etc always in the van so they are handy whenever needed.
do we wear hats and viz instore fitting vinyls, no. not unless there is more going on than just squeegeeing vinyl into place, though cones may come out if we are going to be doing it for a while and in a busy shop.I think common sense will always prevail, unfortunately, the general public seems to lack this at times. 😉🤣
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i was doing a job on a busy street two weeks back. i coned off the pavement the best i could to allow me to work and let people by. i think about 6 people gave me snide comments 2 gave me a mouthful of abuse. the worst is the elderly complaining i am blocking the pavement when there was PLENTY space to walk around. you cant win! 🙄
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