Gaffing cables/ Cable trays

[ramdram]

You are in court for a breach of whatever regulation...unfortunately for you as a result of your actions someone has tripped over on of "your" cables; they have broken an ankle, say, so there's a compensation/damages issue too.

 

The cable had not been secured according to the current rules/regs. Prosecuting counsel cross examines and you try to justify your actions by claiming that you could not see your way clear, for whatever specious reason (and it will be specious to the court), to parting with the requisite A$80.51.

 

Prosecuting counsel then asks you how much your kit cost you, or how much the hire cost. Bearing in mind any hire costs are going back to the client. Bearing in mind if the kit is your own then you have very likely spent rather more than A£80 just on cables and connectors, let alone the desk, amps, speaker etc, etc, etc, and you have set this cost against tax...

 

Now, do you really think the Judge is going to accept you could not find the cash to buy the regs. If you claim that you have never read them or knew that such regs existed you damn yourself instantly. "You" present yourself as a professional and take money or money's worth in payment so it is expected than you are fully aware of any rules/regs pertaining to your industry.

 

It may be that the court is dissatisfied with any claim you make that you could not afford said regs and orders an examination of your books and accounts. Basically, by not spending the cash on the regs you bought yourself "the invisible shovel..."

[Ashley R]

Shouldn't Government standards be free to peruse??

Don't get me started on those @#%$#@ at SAI Global who managed to pry the publishing rights of Australian Standards from Standards Australia. It is pure daylight robbery. The amount of money I spend with them annually is ridiculous.

 

Ashley, sadly, as with all things OH&S, there is not a single piece of information that gives all the answers. It is a bit of a treasure hunt where you start of with one thing but then need several other publications to get the full picture.

As suggested, AS3002 is a good start, the most relevant I could find, but also get a copy of the Victorian OH&S Regulation (This is available free!). Also be aware that AS3760 (test & tag) changed last year with some notable changes (yes, more money). Most importantly it is now required to have detachable cables (ie. all your IEC cables) tested and tagged separately from the appliance which needs it own tag.

 

Yes this has peeved me off just recently, as I was trying to find out more information about said standard, when it was brought up here in this thread. But then found out the pritty price tag attached to it...... Silly and stupid me thinks, that we should pay, if we wish to comply/ make a safer workplace for everyone.

 

I haven't done a test and tag course yet, but am looking into it in the very near future, so might still get a copy of that, and then ill also pick up a copy of As3002. I can see half a stick of Tri Truss walking out the door, going off to buy 2 books....... http://www.blue-room.org.uk/public/style_emoticons/default/ohmy.gif

[david.elsbury]

Silly and stupid me thinks, that we should pay, if we wish to comply/ make a safer workplace for everyone.

Well... the people that wrote the standards need to be paid, don't they?

 

It's a shame common sense is not common any more, and that it's not enough to just use common sense.

 

David

[Ashley R]

Shouldn't Government standards be free to peruse??

Don't get me started on those @#%$#@ at SAI Global who managed to pry the publishing rights of Australian Standards from Standards Australia. It is pure daylight robbery. The amount of money I spend with them annually is ridiculous.

 

 

Silly and stupid me thinks, that we should pay, if we wish to comply/ make a safer workplace for everyone.

Well... the people that wrote the standards need to be paid, don't they?

 

It's a shame common sense is not common any more, and that it's not enough to just use common sense.

 

David

 

From Roderick's post I get the feeling that the standard used to be free or at a much lower cost when it was published by Standards Australia. So im assuming our taxes paid for their work.

 

As Kerry mentioned earlier, Common sense is about as common as rocking horse 5h!t, and I have come across plenty of examples of this in my very short life thus far.

[dbuckley]

Shouldn't Government standards be free to peruse??

 

Any "law" that one is required to comply with should be free.

 

In the USA it is the law that all such standards are free. So although you can buy a bound copy of the National Electric Code, you can also download it freely from many states web sites.

 

Interstingly, the only document in New Zealand that deals with theatre and event safety is self-written by the industry, is freely availabe (link in an earliert post) and is promulugated by OSH, our equivalent to the HSE.

 

Sanity is possible.

[obaka-san]

TBH I think this is H&S gone mad. I see the point about possible mechanical damage to gaffered cables but what's stopping someone wandering round with a chainsaw chopping up cable tray http://www.blue-room.org.uk/public/style_emoticons/default/tongue.gif. Using your noggin to take steps appropriate to the risk level is always the best option, more than once I've come across standards etc, that if applied to this industry would be either impossible to comply with or stupendously impractical.

 

I'll have to run down to the library tomorrow to get a copy of AS3002 for a read. For other Australians your local library should have an online subscription to SAI global, from which you can download PDF versions of standards to your hearts content (in Tasmania they all do anyway). Sometimes you have to use the 'special' computer in the reference section to be able to save them to a usb stick though