No PPE

I haven't got a lot of time for all the tedious regulations we have to obey at work. The Health and Safety rep is the most annoying bloke in the yard. He is always shouting about some breach of the regs, not lifting properly, failure to wear a high vis jacket etc. You name the infringement and he has made a note of it in his little book. But there are certain safety instructions I think anyone would be mad not to follow. Like wearing steelies (steel capped boots)and eye protectors.

Two weeks ago at CS we were given the choice of indoors or out door work. I usually choose out door but we were close to the road and I don't want to be spotted. I got my job before I went to court and don't want to loose it because some sneak sees me in the 'chain gang' The job we were asked to do was chipping tiles off a shower room wall, PPE? Forget it. Dust and chips of tiles flying everywhere and no goggles or masks. I got some cuts on my hands and arms but luckily neither the person I was working with nor I got anything in our eyes, the dust made us cough though. Last Sunday I took my own goggles and face mask, just as well, we were doing the same job.

Today

Stood down again. I didn't mind for a change. I stupidly banged my knee last night (pub table since you ask). So when they asked for volunteers to go home I put my hand up. It is possible to self certificate but they only give you a couple of these. I would rather turn up and be sent home, that way I keep the self certs in reserve

Tomorrow

I'm thinking about tomorrow. My next day of CS. Wondering what we will be told to do. Last week we went to the old churchyard again. We are clearing the weeds and long grass from around the grave stones, we began the work before Christmas and the extended break caused by snow, lack of supervisors and no supervisors at all. I have been reading the inscriptions on the stones, no one has been buried there for over 50 years. Then last week a very old lady walked through. She said how glad she was to see the place looking more cared for. Her brother was buried there, he died when he was five. That must have been way before the second world war, so after all someone appreciates what we are doing

same again

I forgot to blog last Sunday night, probably because it was the same as last week, or very nearly. We have had snow since last Tuesday night, I could not get to work on Wednesday but by Thursday the roads were clear and life was getting back to normal, despite the big freeze and the snow piled up on the icy pavements. On Sunday about 8 of us turned up on time for CS, but no supervisors at all and the vans had that much snow on them it was clear they had not moved since the big snow fall. The rule is you wait 45 mins for the pick up, if no one has arrived by then you can go home and you will not be marked as a no show. Well we waited for 30 minutes slowly freezing to death. Then went home. They had better credit me with an hour for turning up this week.

Another day wasted

I had not touched a joint since my arrrest but, on New Years Eve a group of blokes walked up to my mates and I and asked if we could spark up.

Turned out what they wanted was for someone to roll a joint, from the green they had ground because their hands were too cold!! It did not seem the moment to refuse so I obliged, they thanked me and walked on - very strange

Turned up as usual for CS yesterday, only one bus, too many people, sent home.

Have I learned my lesson?

Somoene posting a comment asked if I have learned anything. Yes I have learned things, some of which I have written about already, like how stupid I was to get into this mess in the first place, how to keep my head down and how most of the other blokes just regard CS as a nuisance. These blokes are not really bothered how often they get into trouble.

But I have learned absolutely nothing from the 'work' itself. We are given little or no instruction and the supervisors are stretched to the limit, far too busy making sure no one actually commits a crime during the session to actually give us any instruction.

In the 1930s at the height of the Depression there were work programmes for the unemployed, particularly in the US. Some projects were really worthwhile, but one economist went as far as to say that any work whatsoever was better than having people on the dole, even digging holes in the road and filling them in again. CS is just below this level of utility (or futility).

We get next Sunday off for Christmas

No room on the bus

One mini bus, 6 seats, 20 blokes reporting for duty, I'm home again