Search the forum,

Discuss Apprentice plumber in the Plumbing Jobs | The Job-board area at PlumbersForums.net

Status
Not open for further replies.
N

Nige.t

Hi guys, just wondering if I can get some advice for a young bloke I was working with?
i started working on a job and had been there for 6 months but in that time the company had to put an apprentice on to win and keep the job. Only problem is the company haven't had him sign any papers and they haven't enrolled him in any schooling. The previous foreman was telling him he can't sign on for school until the new year starts and therefore his apprenticeship could take over 4 years to complete through no fault of his own. I'm worried the young bloke is going to get screwed over and considering they are paying him apprentice wages and his apprenticeship might not have started yet.
Also any advice on health and safety and protocols and who to contact would be greatly appreciated. The site is a disgrace, workers on scaffold that's incomplete and not tagged, foremen smoking in confined spaces/site offices, deep open holes with no barricades and the list goes on... It's not a small site either, over 50 houses being built. Any help or ideas would be greatly appreciated.
 
Well the problem is its summer, Colleges stop for 6 weeks give or take. Course might not start till next year anyway. As for wages..... unskilled worker, under 21 (probably) no minimum wage entitlement. How much would you pay him a shift!? £30, £40, £100?
I know many, including myself, who have been messed about trying to break through. Its hard as most plumbers take on sons, cousins, friends etc in favour of someone they don't know.
As for site safety, phone the gaffer, HSE, Local Council. Have a word with the site manager and see his attitude towards Health and Safety, take it from there.
 
Hi guys, just wondering if I can get some advice for a young bloke I was working with?
i started working on a job and had been there for 6 months but in that time the company had to put an apprentice on to win and keep the job. Only problem is the company haven't had him sign any papers and they haven't enrolled him in any schooling. The previous foreman was telling him he can't sign on for school until the new year starts and therefore his apprenticeship could take over 4 years to complete through no fault of his own. I'm worried the young bloke is going to get screwed over and considering they are paying him apprentice wages and his apprenticeship might not have started yet.
Also any advice on health and safety and protocols and who to contact would be greatly appreciated. The site is a disgrace, workers on scaffold that's incomplete and not tagged, foremen smoking in confined spaces/site offices, deep open holes with no barricades and the list goes on... It's not a small site either, over 50 houses being built. Any help or ideas would be greatly appreciated.

Hi Niget you shouldnt have to worry about the place of work being unsafe, this is why there was a thread the other day someone witnessed someone falling through a scaff board and its unbelievable that these things are occurring but they are , go to this website and MAKE THE CALL FOR YOUR OWN SAFETY AND FOR THAT OF YOUR COLLEGES,, all the best Kris

HSE: Information about health and safety at work
 
Yeah cheers, the young lad would be lucky to get £3 an hour.... I was more worried that if he hasn't got the papers signed when the job finishes the company will cut him loose and he will be out of work with no time served or recognition for what he has done.
as for safety, talking to our foreman or agent would just mean if you don't like it **** off. Labourer was on core cutting hole duties and I told him take lots of breaks to give your body a rest, I mentioned it to our foreman that I told him that and his response was "he wants the job done and he's not paying for him to have breaks"and or he is not going to cover him for injury either.
Biggest thing that annoyed me is foreman smoking in the site office with workers around, if you say something you get the arse so what do you do, no work no pay and bills to pay....
 
Cheers kris, yeah I'll have a look at the web site and see what I can come up with. I can deal with the safety issue but more worried if I'm not around the apprentice will be on his own and the foreman doesn't give a hoot about anything else but the job getting done let alone the site agent who pushes the job and if safety is an issue will turn a blind eye until he wants to pick you up on a dirty rubbish pile when the whole site is a disgrace.
 
Yeah I agree they should be safe but this is one of the worst sites I've ever been on, especially for the size of the build. It frustrates me when the agents talk about health and safety and since I've been there there has been no site safety walks, one tool box meeting and it's a bomb site....
 
Unfortunately lots of site agents and foreman are some of the biggest bawbags you'll find in the trades.
 
Not all of them. Go into the office and loot for the form marked f10. Get some photos and send it to the CDMC they are ultimately responsible
 
The last few years ive noticed site safety dropping, prob due to tigher budgets and money pressures. What can you do? not alot unless somebody has a reportable incident.

I maybe wrong but the hse do not do spot inspections of building sites, the only time ive known them attend is due to a major issue or an appointment which gave the site time to sort itself out. I would say that a large percentage of sites would be shut down for the day if they did spot inspections.
 
As for safety, talking to our foreman or agent would just mean if you don't like it **** off. Labourer was on core cutting hole duties and I told him take lots of breaks to give your body a rest, I mentioned it to our foreman that I told him that and his response was "he wants the job done and he's not paying for him to have breaks"and or he is not going to cover him for injury either.


This is the problem too many people are put in this situation firstly you cant go to whoevers in charge because they have a total disregard for safety and you dont want to call HSE because you need your job to pay bills , BUT
What you need to say to yourself is how many bills can be paid if you was to have an accident or if someone else has an accidednt then HSE would get involved and the site would prob be closed until all aspects of safety were adhered too,
Me personally if the site isnt safe ie scaff boards , poles etc and im asked to work on these unsafe structures then id simply make an anonymous call to hse ,
 
Status
Not open for further replies.

Reply to Apprentice plumber in the Plumbing Jobs | The Job-board area at PlumbersForums.net

Creating content since 2001. Untold Media.

OFFICIAL SPONSORS

OFFICIAL SPONSORS

Back
Top
AdBlock Detected

We get it, advertisements are annoying!

Sure, ad-blocking software does a great job at blocking ads, but it also blocks useful features of our website. For the best site experience please disable your AdBlocker.

I've Disabled AdBlock