Tool lanyards / Tethering

aussiebob

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:cry: Our boss told us yesterday that we have to "tether" our tools to a
lanyard as it became "The Law" last September and the HSE are going to start visiting sites and will "fine" anyone who is found working at height without a "tethered" spanner.

I have spent the last 4 hours going over "the 2005 /7 working at height regulations and looked up SG20 but cannot find any information about "The Law" stating we have to use "lanyards" on our tools.

Is our boss talking crap, or can someone shed some light on this matter.

Cheers in Advance.

Be good to your mum.:p
 
It is now law, its just site policy. I have been on a few jobs that brought them in and it lasted about 2 weeks before the tetherings "fell off". Total pile of **** as it slows you down a LOT. Tell your boss to **** off. I refuse to use tethered tools.
 
spannerbitch,

Thanks for the reply,
Are you saying "it is Law" and site policy. If it is Law, do you know what regluation it comes under.

Cheers
 
Na it is not law just site to site policy. I had my spanner, ratchet, bubble and even my fecking tape all tethered up when they brought it in. It lasted only a couple of weeks. You get caught on every god dam fitting on the scaffold when moving around. And not forgetting your spanner will become useless if they simply attach a lanyard to the spanner as the lanyard will tangle up and wrap around your arm (unless you get the proper ball bearing one).
 
Thank the lordey

In the game far to long to start tying crap to my tools, her in doors fancies tying up my tools :cry:

Cheers Bud
 
as far as resonalbe practicalbe, organise work at height so as to prevent falls and falling objects, such as tools and materails

taken from the 'site safety simplifeid' book page 50 under legistaion.

its a grey area as they used the magic word that means anything 'practicalbe'

we have been told to use them on carrillion jobs but its not been enfroced by them
 
site policy only , carrillion make you use them , some are better than others and i hate to say but there not that bad once you get used to them .

---------- Post added at 04:19 PM ---------- Previous post was at 04:08 PM ----------

it seems to have died off now having to use them , been on afew carrilion sites lately without one and nothings been said
 
Like most of these safety initiatives Allan.
 
what gets me is did you ever see a chippy with one on a drill or a brickie with one on a trowel but we had to have them on a spanner, level, ratchet, tape teh bloody works
 
Mr B

Thanks for your reply.

I did read that section in "The Working at Height Regulations" and thought surly my boss can't be interpreting that wording as meaning "All tools have to be tethered when working at height, cos, if he is, the firm can stick their "lanyards" where the sun don't shine.

We have enough crap hanging off us already without more items to get caught up, the next thing, the prats will ask us to tether the fittings and boards.

The trouble is, our european brothers just say yes without question, some are trying to work with lanyards on all their tools, they look like a fecking walking Christmas tree.:mad:
 
the next thing, the prats will ask us to tether the fittings and boards.


I think that's the real reason it is not properly policed on these sites. The workability of most of these initiatives is virtually nil, but should something happen they will have some form of defence as they told you to do it. As you say aussiebob, why tie off a wee tape when we are handling heavy 21' tube?
 
what gets me is did you ever see a chippy with one on a drill or a brickie with one on a trowel but we had to have them on a spanner, level, ratchet, tape teh bloody works
only ever had one for my spanner , i have been on sites where the brickies had to use them on there trowel , a velcro wrist strap that goes from there wrist to the trowel . im sure a brickie got kicked off one site for not using one . we were netting every brickwork scaffold so the brickies didnt need them when they first come about . but like i said it seems to have died off now . think the rule is 2m high and less than 2m from the edge all tools need a lanyard . i dont see the point to be honest as i always thought there was more chance of dropping a fitting or a tube than the spanner. especially when your catching them 4 lifts up
 
Ha ha!

Ive been having this argument with my brother about tool lanyards.
He hates them and while im not a massive fan, ive been trying to use them and get used to them, as sooner or later - Just like with double lanyards, on some jobs, you WILL have to start using them.

They are a royal pain in the arse, if you ask me... but they do have their uses.

Anyone seen the new 'Hard hat lanyard'?

8772706_Mini_Hard_Hat_Key_Chain.jpg



Its the nuts aint it? :nuts:
 
Pencil sharpeners aint they? How do you feel about tethering a 21? Can't see it catching on in my world but you never know.

---------- Post added at 04:49 PM ---------- Previous post was at 04:48 PM ----------

Or are they bottle openers? Got a few freebies a while back from generation but the boy's robbed them.:suspicious:
 
If your hard hat blows off it's a good sign you should be sat in the shack.:worried:
 
I think they are bottle openers, lol.

Im not a massive fan, but id rather have the pain of using one, then lose one of my tools, especially my Spanner.

They are handy for if your working over a river or something like that.
 
That's true, still remember having to scrounge a podger of my mate as I got a quick call to go back off-shore. I hit the rig, got changed went outside to study the form, first job was complete a small cantilever over the side and as soon as I sat on the needles I heard a chink, looked down to see the podger fall to the big blue skip. I was ripping as I knew I would struggle to complete a trip out there with no podger but a very helpful sparky I think he was made me one which I still have today. So I take your point but I still think making scaff's tether their hand tools whilst handling tonnes of loose material is a bit of a joke.
 
True mate.

I think that with most things, while were not so-called tradesmen, even though i think that with certain jobs Scaffolding is the MOST skilled trade out there, instead of making us do things and treating us like children, Health and Safety should have the respect enough to give us the option of using/doing certain things.

We're the experts in what we do, not some 19 year old who sat a 2 week course in Construction Management and they should advise us on safe practises and it should be upto us if we follow their advice.
 
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