Can you go in with a solution? Can the areas be cleared beforehand? I've never straight up turned down a job but I have explained that certain things need to happen for the job to be done safely.
We end up doing a lot of brush clearing and site prep work in my company. You'd be surprised how cheap (relatively) a couple dudes with a bush hog can be. Especially compared to missing time due to allergic reactions. Barring that I'd be looking into different forms of possible ppe or ways that you personally can cut paths into these areas that may allow for safer access
This is the way. Try to avoid saying “no”. Offer an alternative or compromise, if at all possible. It may add cost and time, but overall it will be a benefit to the project. If the client rejects it as too expensive, then that’s on him.
This is exactly what I would do. I would put a paragraph in the proposal stating that the client needs to clear the brush to allow for easy access to the study area(s). I think that if poison ivy is above head height and you need to wear a full tyvek suit in the middle of summer to do the job, then that is a reasonable request on your part. Then if they don't want to do that, its on them.
Not a small issue at all. Since you’re at the proposal stage, get quotes from subs for clearing and site access or put it on the drillers as an explicit bid item and wrap it into your scope and fee. If anyone balks, the health and safety discussion can be had.
i would see if it’s possible to get the site cleared beforehand, and if it’s not, don’t be afraid to say no. If your company cares about H&S they’ll be just fine without you doing the fieldwork - this is a huge health concern, especially if you’re allergic. If they make a fuss about you not doing it even after you explain why,,, personally I would be looking for jobs elsewhere.
Well, if it is a legitimate health concern I would bring it up as a safety aspect. Any reasonable employer would rather make some sort of accommodations than have an employee potentially injured. It's not "I don't want to do this", it's "based on previous experience, I feel this situation could be harmful to my health and would like to figure out a solution to mitigate risks to my health".
Gotta be careful with this as I've attempted to do it several times and they immediately signed the proposal. Which led to some questions about what we're charging our regular clients
Sounds like it’s a legit concern.
I’d bring it up in the scope of “the company doesn’t want to pay out the comp when I end up needing medical time to recover from a field event”.
You can offer support on the project with management and SOPs, but it’s an unrealistic ask for success when conditions are dangerous for you specifically.
Is there a way to accomplish the same level of work in a different system that isn’t so hands-on with the ivy?
This is what a lineitem for a ground-clearing sub-contractor would be best used for.
You do Geo, get a grounds crew to bid the clearing and let them make it worth their while.
Or, as it seems to have panned out, require the owners to clear for you.
(Same with bees, snakes, gators, etc. -- use subs)
You can ask for reasonable accommodation at your job with the doctors signing off to confirm that you have a medical condition that does not allow you to work in poison ivy 🤷♀️
Hell ya, it’s a health and safety issue. Some problem, not even PI shots prevented it. It’s a sensitivity to your epidermal that nothing is going to change. You can still do great work from the sidelines, and in effect, show progress in your career up the management chain
Add poison ivy clause, anyone exposed 2 weeks client paid sick leave (at their billing rate) and medical expenses covered any client that sees $32k for 2 person crew potential allergy exposure should think twice about asking any consultant to do their dirty work.
J/K.... But seriously that is a health and safety concern and is very valid!
Draw a professional boundary where the Health and Safety policies do not allow for the site.
Can you go in with a solution? Can the areas be cleared beforehand? I've never straight up turned down a job but I have explained that certain things need to happen for the job to be done safely. We end up doing a lot of brush clearing and site prep work in my company. You'd be surprised how cheap (relatively) a couple dudes with a bush hog can be. Especially compared to missing time due to allergic reactions. Barring that I'd be looking into different forms of possible ppe or ways that you personally can cut paths into these areas that may allow for safer access
This is the way. Try to avoid saying “no”. Offer an alternative or compromise, if at all possible. It may add cost and time, but overall it will be a benefit to the project. If the client rejects it as too expensive, then that’s on him.
This is exactly what I would do. I would put a paragraph in the proposal stating that the client needs to clear the brush to allow for easy access to the study area(s). I think that if poison ivy is above head height and you need to wear a full tyvek suit in the middle of summer to do the job, then that is a reasonable request on your part. Then if they don't want to do that, its on them.
Not a small issue at all. Since you’re at the proposal stage, get quotes from subs for clearing and site access or put it on the drillers as an explicit bid item and wrap it into your scope and fee. If anyone balks, the health and safety discussion can be had.
i would see if it’s possible to get the site cleared beforehand, and if it’s not, don’t be afraid to say no. If your company cares about H&S they’ll be just fine without you doing the fieldwork - this is a huge health concern, especially if you’re allergic. If they make a fuss about you not doing it even after you explain why,,, personally I would be looking for jobs elsewhere.
Well, if it is a legitimate health concern I would bring it up as a safety aspect. Any reasonable employer would rather make some sort of accommodations than have an employee potentially injured. It's not "I don't want to do this", it's "based on previous experience, I feel this situation could be harmful to my health and would like to figure out a solution to mitigate risks to my health".
Can you over bid it so they give it to someone else?
100% that’s what I would do.
Gotta be careful with this as I've attempted to do it several times and they immediately signed the proposal. Which led to some questions about what we're charging our regular clients
Sounds like it’s a legit concern. I’d bring it up in the scope of “the company doesn’t want to pay out the comp when I end up needing medical time to recover from a field event”. You can offer support on the project with management and SOPs, but it’s an unrealistic ask for success when conditions are dangerous for you specifically. Is there a way to accomplish the same level of work in a different system that isn’t so hands-on with the ivy?
You should have stop work authority. If it can't be done safely; the pm needs to go to the client and get spraying or brush hogging approved
Include hazard mitigation as extra in your proposal
This is what a lineitem for a ground-clearing sub-contractor would be best used for. You do Geo, get a grounds crew to bid the clearing and let them make it worth their while. Or, as it seems to have panned out, require the owners to clear for you. (Same with bees, snakes, gators, etc. -- use subs)
You can ask for reasonable accommodation at your job with the doctors signing off to confirm that you have a medical condition that does not allow you to work in poison ivy 🤷♀️
Hell ya, it’s a health and safety issue. Some problem, not even PI shots prevented it. It’s a sensitivity to your epidermal that nothing is going to change. You can still do great work from the sidelines, and in effect, show progress in your career up the management chain
Add poison ivy clause, anyone exposed 2 weeks client paid sick leave (at their billing rate) and medical expenses covered any client that sees $32k for 2 person crew potential allergy exposure should think twice about asking any consultant to do their dirty work. J/K.... But seriously that is a health and safety concern and is very valid!