PPE On small Jobs

Health and safety is something that many people roll their eyes at. I've worked on many large jobs where it's rammed down your throat to the point your sick of hearing about it, I remember once that we got marked down on a site because a roofer, who was on a roof, wasn't wearing his hard hat! 

But on small private jobs, my bread and butter now, there is no one there to remind you what to do and it can be easy to be a little complaisant about it all. 

I know a few builders who frequently say they're deaf anyway so why does it matter, one man I know is only a year older than me and he now wears a hearing aid full time. I'm sure that had he been a little more proactive about his hearing protection he could have saved his ears instead of having to wear a hearing aid for the rest of his life.

I'm determined to be better about it and use ear plugs, goggle and dust protection more and be better organised about it. 

Anyone else trying to be better in their use of PPE?

Battening Out

Worked at my brothers on Friday. We battened out his two external walls so they could be insulated and then plaster boarded. 

 Rather than just fixing them to the wall we levelled them up as well to make a much better job of it. although this takes a lot longer it's worth it in the long run. All the battens have plastic behind them to prevent any damp tracking through the wall. 

My brother now needs to run the pipes to the right places and new wiring run for the sockets before insulating it with 1 inch Kingspan. I'll then come back and give him a hand plaster boarding it ready for the plasterer next month.

Oak Sleeper Steps

Last week I installed the steps on some landscaping that a customer was doing in his garden. They'd already started the walls and the sides but were struggling to work out the treads and how to put them in. 

 I had to alter the sides a little bit on the first day, then I stated cutting the green oak sleepers to size to make the steps. Each sat in a 4x2 bracket I screwed to the sides. The idea being that that is just temporary until they get some hardcore packed under each step and then slabs to make the treads on top. I've never built steps like this before but it was what the customer wanted. 

Heavy work, at the bottom of a steep garden but still quite enjoyable in between the rain showers.