Health And Safety

[thaibeachlovers]

While not strictly this forum I doubt people on the general forum would understand what I'm talking about.

Acros the road yesterday a young man was cutting up a large old concrete mixer with a gas axe, so it could be removed, as the land is being developed.

NO goggles, not even a pair of dark glasses.

NO gloves

never mind any other safety gear.

I'm sure that he could have at least afforded a pair of cutting goggles, but chose not to use anything.

Seems extraordinary to me that he thought molten steel would not harm him.

Any thoughts as to why Thai workers would do that, along with arc welding without the helmet ( are Thai eyes immune to arc eye )?

[Kwasaki]

Your concerns towards another human being is commendable and I was always fascinated by the way related building work is carried out when I first came to Thailand.

From what is seen, health and safety here is still left to the individual to decide what they regard as safe in carrying works out.

In big city areas like Bangkok maybe there is some kind of requirement maybe but out in the sticks it's a what's the easiest, cheapest way to do something.

Being in the UK building industry for 35years, one of the reasons I retired early was the fact that so many regulations and enforcements were made over say the last 15 years to a point where in some cases it was getting near impossible to price a job.

When management builders started up and more less took over from say the family name UK builders of the past, things got worse and worse and Health and Safety Executive were making laws and enforcing them for working on building sites as well as recommended work practices.

The HSE recommended ones were sometimes being enforced by the management builders and it was getting to a point of some works becoming impossible to carry out, common sense and the use of an experienced operative had been lost.

It ended with me many a time having to get clients and architects involved to get some works completed in getting the management builder overruled.

[thaibeachlovers]

Your concerns towards another human being is commendable and I was always fascinated by the way related building work is carried out when I first came to Thailand.

From what is seen, health and safety here is still left to the individual to decide what they regard as safe in carrying works out.

In big city areas like Bangkok maybe there is some kind of requirement maybe but out in the sticks it's a what's the easiest, cheapest way to do something.

Being in the UK building industry for 35years, one of the reasons I retired early was the fact that so many regulations and enforcements were made over say the last 15 years to a point where in some cases it was getting near impossible to price a job.

When management builders started up and more less took over from say the family name UK builders of the past, things got worse and worse and Health and Safety Executive were making laws and enforcing them for working on building sites as well as recommended work practices.

The HSE recommended ones were sometimes being enforced by the management builders and it was getting to a point of some works becoming impossible to carry out, common sense and the use of an experienced operative had been lost.

It ended with me many a time having to get clients and architects involved to get some works completed in getting the management builder overruled.

Thank you for your reply.

[electau]

The concept of safety is unknown to most Thais.

In Western countries one has a legal duty of care to onself and to others. This is not so in Thailand. Legislation on safety in the workplace is generally not applied if it exists.

In Western countries safety breaches can and are enforced by the legal system in a court of law.

　

　

　

[Soutpeel]

The concept of safety is unknown to most Thais.

In Western countries one has a legal duty of care to onself and to others. This is not so in Thailand. Legislation on safety in the workplace is generally not applied if it exists.

In Western countries safety breaches can and are enforced by the legal system in a court of law.

　

Think a lot of generalised comments are being made here....I work in industry here (offshore O&G) and the safety stardards implemented are equal to or better than some places I have worked in the "Western world" in fact I was more shocked as some of the things that were going on, on sites in the US...

Rather than "blame" the worker...the focus for the "blame" should be on the managment of a particular "company"...if they are not commited to safety than they workers will not work safe, in a lot of cases, ie in the case of the welder without a welding helmet, a lot of it is to do with education ie most will not know what arc eye is, and if they do get arc eye they are not connecting it to the welding work they have done.

In my 10 years of working in industry in Thailand, if management is commited to a safe work enviroment, provide the training required and enforce the requirements, Thai nationals have very little problem working safely and in fact I have had more problems with Western expats" working unsafely than Thai nationals

[Soutpeel]

Your concerns towards another human being is commendable and I was always fascinated by the way related building work is carried out when I first came to Thailand.

From what is seen, health and safety here is still left to the individual to decide what they regard as safe in carrying works out.

In big city areas like Bangkok maybe there is some kind of requirement maybe but out in the sticks it's a what's the easiest, cheapest way to do something.

Being in the UK building industry for 35years, one of the reasons I retired early was the fact that so many regulations and enforcements were made over say the last 15 years to a point where in some cases it was getting near impossible to price a job.

When management builders started up and more less took over from say the family name UK builders of the past, things got worse and worse and Health and Safety Executive were making laws and enforcing them for working on building sites as well as recommended work practices.

The HSE recommended ones were sometimes being enforced by the management builders and it was getting to a point of some works becoming impossible to carry out, common sense and the use of an experienced operative had been lost.

It ended with me many a time having to get clients and architects involved to get some works completed in getting the management builder overruled.

The UK HSE are a gang of complete loonies who wouldnt know decent safety if it fell on them.....When I get on a site anywhere in the world...and someone introduces themselves as a "safety professional" I scared, very scared...as most couldnt tie their own shoelace's never mind knowing what "good safety" is....

[Riley'sLife]

In Thailand the Health and Safety Department Head is known as Buddha. Every Thai knows that Safety Equipment and Safety Rules dont have any relevance, but those amulets from the Temple offer total immunity, and Buddha will decide if you will be safe or not!!

[thaibeachlovers]

The concept of safety is unknown to most Thais.

In Western countries one has a legal duty of care to onself and to others. This is not so in Thailand. Legislation on safety in the workplace is generally not applied if it exists.

In Western countries safety breaches can and are enforced by the legal system in a court of law.

　

Think a lot of generalised comments are being made here....I work in industry here (offshore O&G) and the safety stardards implemented are equal to or better than some places I have worked in the "Western world" in fact I was more shocked as some of the things that were going on, on sites in the US...

Rather than "blame" the worker...the focus for the "blame" should be on the managment of a particular "company"...if they are not commited to safety than they workers will not work safe, in a lot of cases, ie in the case of the welder without a welding helmet, a lot of it is to do with education ie most will not know what arc eye is, and if they do get arc eye they are not connecting it to the welding work they have done.

In my 10 years of working in industry in Thailand, if management is commited to a safe work enviroment, provide the training required and enforce the requirements, Thai nationals have very little problem working safely and in fact I have had more problems with Western expats" working unsafely than Thai nationals

True, but my comments are not about workers in large companies, but about the lone worker to which I was referring, or workers in a "hole in the wall" machine shop. Safety googles are cheap, but they don't seem to think that THEY will be harmed- same category as allowing a 10 year old take three friends on a mo'bike I suppose.

[bankruatsteve]

There's also the "macho" factor. I suppose that's everywhere in the world - I just notice it here more. Like when I was working and had a driver: he wouldn't turn on the wipers until the rain was absolutiely blinding - or the lights until an hour after dusk. Well, that was the first time - after that I would say "<deleted> - TURN ON THE GD WIPERS!" and then he would look around before doing it like he didn't want to get caught. Unbelievable - but true.

[electau]

In reply to post #5 by southpeel.

One should look at workplace health and safety as type of industry based. Eg.

Construction

Transport eg road transport

Mining

Petroleum ( oil and gas)

Manufacturing

Food

Agriculture and Fishing.

Contracting Industries.

Electrical, Mechanical services, Building contractors etc.

WH and S covers training for all involved , their legal responsibilities and duty of care.

It covers employees, supervisors, management, contractors and their employees.

How many businesses in Thai land carry public risk insurance?