What do y'all think about the OSHA rule requiring the wearing of 'long pants'? We [the USA] are pretty much out there alone on this issue. Do we need them or not?

Back in the mid 80's when I started to pump concrete in SW FL we never heard of wearing pants. We only wore shorts. Heck we rarely wore shirts even on commercial jobs. Rules were very slack back then. Hard hats? I do not even think I owned one back then. I was walking tie-beams 22 floors up with no safety equip. whatsoever. I am very happy today we have the safety regs in place. But soon we will all have to wear long sleeve shirts.

Bob over here in Aus we have a lot of jobs that require long pants and long sleeves in 100 + heat you get used to it and no point arguing with safety regs you only lose breath

First  , Why do We need it as an operator when We can choose place to stand and operate ? Yes when We clean the pump I can understand it a little bit but not otherwise....

Iám on a buildingplace where We must have longsleeve and long pants and when it is over 30 celsius it is not so funny , is an overheated operator safe ?

Yes I drink , I have an big umbrella sometimes when it is to hot...

Why should anyone else think for You ? I have long pants and longsleeves when I need it , when I use a "Flex" or a torch... And sometimes when I think it will be a verry dirty cleanout .

We can operate pumps but We can not choose Our clothes ! Do they think We are morons ?

My mom thech Me when I was a little boy what clothes to wear , and that I get burned in the sun and on coffe and applepie !

I HATE LOONGSLEEVS AND LONG PANTS ! Shorts and t-shirts on 1 of april and of end of October !

We have showers in Sweden ! ;-) On most buildingplace and home at the garage .

I use hardhat and hearingprotection and safetyglasses , steelcap shoes and gloves when i need gloves....

I have lots of pumping friends that never wear a hardhat and glasses but they use long pants and longsleeves....

They are clean , but they hear and see bad !

The dirt can I wash of but replace a lost eye or a lost hearing...

I wear long pants and short sleeve shirts all the time and you do get used to it. If it gets too hot I try to find a shady spot to stand. I know on all Ministry jobs in Ontario you have to wear long pants and sleeved shirts. No shorts or even cut off shirts are allowed. If the ministry of labour really wanted to push the issue on private and public sectors they can but for the most part they ussualy stick to enforcing the larger industrial/comercial jobs more. Plus the long pants and sleeved shirts help to keep those harmful UV rays off of me so I can save money by not using so much sunscreen.  :)

jeans and long sleeves all day until i take off my uniform at the end of the job.  i wear a nike dri-fit shirt then a t-shirt and then my long sleeve uniform shirt.  the dri-fit shirt keeps me nice and cool.   

long pants ( jeans with no holes ) and company tee shirts, no exceptions,  not as much a safety issue as it is an image we want to protray, a professional, safety minded, with clean and well maintained equipment, concrete pumping company.

can a guy with a pony tail, shorts and tattoos up and down his arm pump concrete,    absolutely,  but just not with us !!!!!  

Slinger , dont the company pay for the sunscreen ?

 I wonder what OSHA think would happends if some one use shorts and T-shirts ? Is it for the sun or for the concretesplatter ? 

yank , if I have shorts and T-shirts with the companys name on compare with longpants and a longsleeve with the companys name on whats the difference ?

What about piercings ? I dont think I have a chance to get a job at your company ! :-)

I can understand it if You are a banker in a bank or similar.... (but only little !) They have "casual friday" on most office , We have casual weeks 24/7 365....

It is 2008 !

Our customer wants a pumpoperator that can handle the pump and solve problems, if he or she has shorts or longpants they don´t care...

 Shorts on a concrete pump operator looks like dread-locks on an NFL player,out-of-place.

hey yank , i think its pretty funny how you are all about your image and how you look , ya its good to keep your pump spotless to look good and represent your company but as for me i have my left arm fully sleaved and my hands and fingers  tattooed and as long as i do my job and make the customer happy he doesnt see any of that , its who i am , take your image to hollywood and try modeling ! 

I,ve been wearing shorts/ short sleeve shirts since 1994. I wear shorts year round. I found out early on I'd rather be a little cold with shorts, than wet and miserable with jeans. I am a line pumper,and its hard to stay completely dry,especially when washing out. As for safety glasses and hard hat, If they make you unsafe IE(foggy glasses/humid conditions),they are no longer safety devices. I do carry hard hat,glasses,and jeans for the occasions when mandated,but prefer shorts , short sleeve shirt,and my oakley blades(which NEVER fog up).

Vasa / dawg         all other things being equal, the company that considers image important to its success will be more successful,   I NEVER said without that image a person couldn't be a good pumper ( or be a banker, or general contractor, or large pump company owner)  ( in the same breath, think of the homeowners of million dollar homes,  the bankers financing your pumps, the owners of the pump company you work for, I'm willing to bet they consider "" image "" important.)

In todays environment, if partly because of the image I can charge more than the other company in town, it works for me!!!!!

however ...... do appreciate the career advice

We charge more then the other pumpcompany in town....

Largest pumpfleet in Sweden...

Even if We have shorts in the summertime ! Btw the crew who take care of the mud wear shorts , why shouldnt We wear shorts if it is hot ?

Our customers hire Us because of our skills and pumps that works not because what We wear....

And yank , please show a pic of you in your uniform !

So I know how to look so the company can charge even moore if I start to wear a uniform ! ;-)

Well here is my take on the subject...

As an operator i would LOVE to be able to wear shorts while pumping,They are much cooler and alot easier to move in.I also feel that they should be of a nice quality and descent looking(not cut-offs)

But as a person wanting to get into the "saftey"side of my company I can understand why they are a "BAD" idea.Think back to the times when you have been pumping along and you take a step and catch your pant leg on a nail stake.And it ripped your pants,Now imagine how bad that the little scrape you got an you leg "with pants on" could have been.there are several hazards that we as operators face that are just from the knee down.Say what you want "Just watch where you are going" and so on,BUT I feel that pants,prefferabley a good quality demin jeans save several cuts,scratches,scrapes and STITCHES. That is just my 2 pennies

Many a day I wished that I could wear shorts. It was not allowed, so I did not do it. ;~}(

how does my mustasche look?

i do believe its more professional looking with long pants but its each companies rite to dictate what there employees wear and what they want there company image to be.Now about tatoos,piercings and so on,this is 2008 last time I looked,how shallow are we to judge by tattoos and piercings,I have tatoo's and I dont think many would want to work for a company with such ridiculous rules,thats like saying if your wifes ugly you cant work here,if the tatoos arent racial or degrading to anyone why judge them by that,I have scars can I work for you,beauty is only skin deep,I have piercings but do not wear them while I work due to safety reasons to each is own but you cant always judge a book by its cover ,I guess each company has its own rules and nobody is going to agree with each,thats just my opinion nothing more,but I try to judge on experience,merit,and safety records I form my opinion from the resume and the applicants references,not there picture,color of skin,nationality,sex,or sexual orientation,tattooes or piercings,if we do this its called discrimination and thats not what I'm about.   

Yank

Im with the others please send a picture so maybe we can all get paid more just on our looks,thats bulls---,maybe you get paid more for your exp service equipment but it cant be for your looks surely if you looked that good you wouldve showed us your mug in your profile,I see nothing but blank spaces please do us all a favor and SHOW ME THE MONEY uniform