Have Some Safety Concerns

Originally Posted by dan442

He pretty much said you have to realize you are taking huge chances doing this type of work and is only for some people.

Originally Posted by dan442

Another thing he mentioned is that since we pretty much only do agricultural buildings, the company is not required to insure us. I guess that is just how it is in Ohio.

Originally Posted by dan442

I am new in the construction industry and I am starting off with basically no experience. I got a job with a contractor and he says he will work with me and show me how to do everything. I have been working with him for a few weeks now and it is becoming very clear that he does not take many, if any, safety precautions. The thing with me is that it takes a lot for me to be concerned about my safety. I generally do not follow safety precautions when doing many things, it's just the way I am.

I guess I will tell you all what type of work this is. We are building a decent size pole barn, not sure of the dimensions.

The things I am most concerned about is he is doing nothing to protect us from falls. He is very experienced and is able to balance easily on things like floor joists, rafters, etc., but I am not. He seems to expect me and the other crew member to be able to do that type stuff, but I would think that would take some time to get the hang of. He uses no safety harnesses of any kind and does not offer any to us. Also, since I am new to this, I don't know if the way he is doing things is the correct way, just with no safety equipment, or if there is a proper way to set up things so you do not have to balance on joists, rafters, etc.

This is my biggest problem. It is really hard to find any type construction job around here when you have no experience. If it was easy to find one, I would just quit. Is there any way to get him to use proper safety precautions without loosing my job? He seems to have the mentality that doing things safe take too much time. I wish it was as easy to just be able to quit and just find another job, but the current economy makes it hard to find any job.

Thanks for the help everyone!

Originally Posted by dan442

I may have found a roofing job that seems like it will be more for me. They actually offer benefits and I will be insured. I would be getting actual paychecks, not 1099'ed. I explained to him all of my concerns about my current job in an email and he ended up giving me a call saying he liked my response and he would like me to start asap. I still have to call him back, but so far this seems like a much better job for me.

Originally Posted by Warren

When you feel safe, your work will be faster and better.

Originally Posted by dan442

Thanks for the help everyone!