remmington
Apprentice
Owns Spark Eroder
Posts: 4,972
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Post by remmington on Jun 28, 2020 13:24:28 GMT 1
I was really lucky to have bought 2,000 good quality nitrile gloves right before the NHS PPE crisis took off. In the past I have asked my guys (4 of us in the workshop) to keep their hands clean by using gloves wherever possible so they can get into a car without spoiling the leather (and most of our customers have cream interiors!). Now I have changed my tune a little - gloves for only the messy/oily jobs. Regular hand washing for everything else. I'm also asking them to re-use the gloves wherever possible - "wash" the outside with brake cleaner and blue roll, then take off and put aside for later use. We're really making our supply stretch out. On PPE, safety shoes are mandated. I do pay for them - except our two recent lads came with their own, but I'll buy replacements when needed. Goggles, ear defenders, dust masks (only a couple left), hot gloves, etc are all available for use. I also have a range of kneeling mats that I encourage the use of.Workwear, I supply branded polo tops and a fleece and also expect the guys to wear black trousers (but I'll pay for them if they give me a receipt). I truly believe in looking after my staff - after all they're the ones making me money. I provide a fully stocked kitchen (so they don't have to go out to buy lunch). I also keep their daily drivers maintained as I need them to be able to get to work. As a result, we have a happy team who love what they do and are very productive. 1. Kneeling mats - we have loads - branded tool ones - and several gardening centre types - I use them and encourage the use of them. 2. Branded workwear - tried that - they did not have T-shirts big enough for the monster Russian's chest. 3. We have a fitted kitchen with oven/hob - fridge/freezer - washing machine - dishwasher - shower/changing room - as Rusky comes into work straight from the gym - or we come in motorbikes and change out of riding gear. 4. I always wear - black jeans or black workwear type trousers (oil does not show so much). Along with black pants and vests from M&S. Truthfully - PPE costs has not been too bad over the years. I did buy two Speedglas airfed welding masks when the rules changed - they were not cheap. But we do allot of digger/plant repairs and use them allot. We don't share PPE either - we have one of each item per person. Plus a cupboard full of spares. As I said earlier in this thread - I am pretty lax about the whole thing - it is just safety glasses I have a fit about. (Reason being I once took a lad to hospital years ago when I worked at my Fathers garage who had a splinter of an air chisel hanging out of his eye)
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Post by trickydicky on Jun 28, 2020 16:03:24 GMT 1
I was really lucky to have bought 2,000 good quality nitrile gloves right before the NHS PPE crisis took off. In the past I have asked my guys (4 of us in the workshop) to keep their hands clean by using gloves wherever possible so they can get into a car without spoiling the leather (and most of our customers have cream interiors!). Now I have changed my tune a little - gloves for only the messy/oily jobs. Regular hand washing for everything else. I'm also asking them to re-use the gloves wherever possible - "wash" the outside with brake cleaner and blue roll, then take off and put aside for later use. We're really making our supply stretch out. On PPE, safety shoes are mandated. I do pay for them - except our two recent lads came with their own, but I'll buy replacements when needed. Goggles, ear defenders, dust masks (only a couple left), hot gloves, etc are all available for use. I also have a range of kneeling mats that I encourage the use of.Workwear, I supply branded polo tops and a fleece and also expect the guys to wear black trousers (but I'll pay for them if they give me a receipt). I truly believe in looking after my staff - after all they're the ones making me money. I provide a fully stocked kitchen (so they don't have to go out to buy lunch). I also keep their daily drivers maintained as I need them to be able to get to work. As a result, we have a happy team who love what they do and are very productive. 1. Kneeling mats - we have loads - branded tool ones - and several gardening centre types - I use them and encourage the use of them. 2. Branded workwear - tried that - they did not have T-shirts big enough for the monster Russian's chest. 3. We have a fitted kitchen with oven/hob - fridge/freezer - washing machine - dishwasher - shower/changing room - as Rusky comes into work straight from the gym - or we come in motorbikes and change out of riding gear. 4. I always wear - black jeans or black workwear type trousers (oil does not show so much). Along with black pants and vests from M&S. Truthfully - PPE costs has not been too bad over the years. I did buy two Speedglas airfed welding masks when the rules changed - they were not cheap. But we do allot of digger/plant repairs and use them allot. We don't share PPE either - we have one of each item per person. Plus a cupboard full of spares. As I said earlier in this thread - I am pretty lax about the whole thing - it is just safety glasses I have a fit about. (Reason being I once took a lad to hospital years ago when I worked at my Fathers garage who had a splinter of an air chisel hanging out of his eye) I once got a chip in my eye drilling a shear bolt on a steering column (back in the good old days of TWOCing) Had to go to A&E for the eye surgeon to pick it out with tweezers, it felt OKish until it started to go rusty 😬
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remmington
Apprentice
Owns Spark Eroder
Posts: 4,972
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Post by remmington on Jun 28, 2020 16:49:43 GMT 1
Safety glasses is easy for me - I need to wear glasses to do anything - so I have prescription safety glasses on my head at all times. So the minute I pick up a power tool - I don my safety glasses - if I don't I can't see to use the tool
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spud
Apprentice
Posts: 1,275
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Post by spud on Jun 28, 2020 19:28:51 GMT 1
havent been able to get any nitrile gloves myself since march allthough ive only looked in costco to be fair dont use a huge ammount working being a gardener but use them in the rain or planting so ive switched to some heavy duty marigold type things i got in stax seam ok but when its really pissing down they fill with water as it runs down my arms
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remmington
Apprentice
Owns Spark Eroder
Posts: 4,972
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Post by remmington on Jun 28, 2020 19:33:19 GMT 1
havent been able to get any nitrile gloves myself since march allthough ive only looked in costco to be fair dont use a huge ammount working being a gardener but use them in the rain or planting so ive switched to some heavy duty marigold type things i got in stax seam ok but when its really pissing down they fill with water as it runs down my arms Bet you have been rained off a few times over the last few weeks.
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spud
Apprentice
Posts: 1,275
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Post by spud on Jun 28, 2020 19:35:13 GMT 1
havent been able to get any nitrile gloves myself since march allthough ive only looked in costco to be fair dont use a huge ammount working being a gardener but use them in the rain or planting so ive switched to some heavy duty marigold type things i got in stax seam ok but when its really pissing down they fill with water as it runs down my arms Bet you have been rained off a few times over the last few weeks. only once and that was more the lightning the rain kept missing bristol ! was starting to get worried the grass would stop growing at one point its been so dry !
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Post by givusaclue on Jun 29, 2020 12:37:13 GMT 1
Thanks for that Noberator. They’ve changed it slightly since I last looked, but it makes no difference to me really, I buy gloves by the thousand normally as I think they’re a good thing, but the problem is at the mo it’s still a real struggle to get them, I bought a carton of xl ones on Thursday as we’re getting down, really wanted L but none available £89.90/carton +vat, normally £42.50 + will just have to up the consumables charge a little bit if it carries on I guess, extra seat covers, antibacterial wipes, extra things to do etc. It all adds upMy missus got a email from her private denist saying they will add £35 per sitting to her bill for PPE. (NHS dentists will not make this charge - they can't as a set of charges is laid out for them - so they are refusing treatment - as they are shut and won't do anything but a phone triage - whatever that is?) What is a fair charge for consumables per job?i reckon £4 on any job excluding mot's is probably fair, we used to use seatcovers 2 or 3 times, but now that's not a good idea & 5 mins extra each end of the job wiping down
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remmington
Apprentice
Owns Spark Eroder
Posts: 4,972
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Post by remmington on Jun 30, 2020 8:12:18 GMT 1
My missus got a email from her private denist saying they will add £35 per sitting to her bill for PPE. (NHS dentists will not make this charge - they can't as a set of charges is laid out for them - so they are refusing treatment - as they are shut and won't do anything but a phone triage - whatever that is?) What is a fair charge for consumables per job?i reckon £4 on any job excluding mot's is probably fair, we used to use seatcovers 2 or 3 times, but now that's not a good idea & 5 mins extra each end of the job wiping down I reckon £4 a job is about the mark. Not sure if I am gonna charge PPE out thou. Yes there is cost and it is adding up (not too much). But it does add up. But after a long drought of customers over the lockdown - I don't wanna punish the ones that are now coming back to me - with extra charges. I have been very busy the last 10 days - to be honest I have a feeling a couple of my wealthy big customers have found me a few jobs that don't really need doing - so they can chuck me some work/money in my direction. One of the big family estates we do work for: Gave me a list of jobs to be done by email - Orange lights on tractors/trailers - electronic diesel meters on static bowsers - and even an electric roller shutter to fix on a building - plus a lost of other things. This will keep one of us busy for a week or two out in the van. I did email them back thanking them for the work - as we need it. Estate manager emailed back and said "the old man" was a having a bit of spend up with his local long term suppliers. From new gates to building work. Apparantly he has given any contractor on his books a little bit of work each.
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