Working under the influence

mahoganygas

I pass by a huge building site every day. There must be about 100 men working on it.

At lunch time I spotted a few of the lads sitting in the sun and one of them smoking a joint.

I thought nothing of it.
But then I remembered a couple of near misses on that site over the past few months. A gravel lorry knocked down a cyclist. A cinder block fell from above and missed a pedestrian by an inch. A contractor's van was double parked and blocking the lorry entrance. He ran back, jumped in the van to move it, and knocked over one of the builders.

Building sites are dangerous places. It got me thinking. That lad shouldn't be stoned on a site.

Would you report seeing a builder smoking a joint on his lunch break?
Or would you mind your own business?

Kimbot

mahoganygas wrote: »

I pass by a huge building site every day. There must be about 100 men working on it.

At lunch time I spotted a few of the lads sitting in the sun and one of them smoking a joint.

I thought nothing of it.
But then I remembered a couple of near misses on that site over the past few months. A gravel lorry knocked down a cyclist. A cinder block fell from above and missed a pedestrian by an inch. A contractor's van was double parked and blocking the lorry entrance. He ran back, jumped in the van to move it, and knocked over one of the builders.

Building sites are dangerous places. It got me thinking. That lad shouldn't be stoned on a site.

Would you report seeing a builder smoking a joint on his lunch break?
Or would you mind your own business?

First thing is first, how do you know he was smoking anything other than tobacco?

phkk

Was it sandstone or limestone?!

mahoganygas

jonnycivic wrote:

First thing is first, how do you know he was smoking anything other than tobacco?

I could smell it.
But you're right, I can't prove anything.

D3V!L

An ex colleague of mine working as a contractor in a very very large well known company is persistently stoned in work. I made an official complaint about him and then "complaints" started coming in from unknown sources about me and my work.

This sort of carry on and covering up is more prevalent than you think OP.

Kimbot

mahoganygas wrote: »

I could smell it.
But you're right, I can't prove anything.

Im only saying as I know people who use different flavoured papers and just tobacco inside it so to others it looks and sometimes smells like they are smoking weed etc.

Only thing you can do is report it to the foreman on site and let them deal with it.

ScumLord

The majority of construction workers are off their heads on one thing or another. As far as I can tell it's like that in most countries too, it's not just an Irish thing.

Widdershins

ScumLord wrote: »

The majority of construction workers are off their heads on one thing or another. As far as I can tell it's like that in most countries too, it's not just an Irish thing.

I was unaware of this..other half has worked in the industry and other than a couple of lads eating raw coffee powder, he never came across anything like that

OP please do report it if you can, maybe anonymously..what if he gets someone on the site killed?

ScumLord

Widdershins wrote: »

I was unaware of this..other half has worked in the industry and other than a couple of lads eating raw coffee powder, he never came across anything like that

OP please do report it if you can, maybe anonymously..what if he gets someone on the site killed?

Then nothing would get done, it takes at least half a kilo of cocaine to construct a house in this day and age, that's not even taking into account all the ancillaries like cannabis and amphetamines.

It's the same in any profession. They're all on drugs too.

The_Valeyard

Widdershins wrote: »

I was unaware of this..other half has worked in the industry and other than a couple of lads eating raw coffee powder

Jaysus, that not give you some sort of atomic sh*tes???

the evasion_kid

Canadians are hoors for drinking on the job,i can remember one of the window fitters on the skyscraper I was working on getting into the lift on the 60th floor and the reek of drink off him,id say the cooler box he brought into work everyday was loaded with beer,the food on top was just camouflage...

The flying mouse

In Portugal it is quite common to see men drinking brandy n coffee in the morning before they go to work, and at lunch to have some wine and/or beer.

Aint Eazy Being Cheezy

I worked with one fella who was a hopeless alcoholic. He'd be sober on day shifts where there were managers etc about, but for the late shift he'd have a shoulder of whiskey in with him, and on the nights he'd just be already drunk. You'd never really notice any difference in him though, probably had a high tolerance by then.

Widdershins

OP, if Health & Safety people were to drop in on foot of an anonymous complaint, it might put the frighteners on the guy and make him think twice without neccesarily dumping him in trouble.

freshpopcorn

I blame the soaps. Everybody has a pint/gin and tonic during their lunch break!

Usernemises

A while back one of the lads that used to work with us was smoking weed all day every day, he was an excellent labourer and worked very hard. On a lot more than one occasion however, I would have to go looking for him as we ran out of mix etc. He was to be found leaning on his shovel staring into the mixer like a space cadet.

Poochie05

freshpopcorn wrote: »

I blame the soaps. Everybody has a pint/gin and tonic during their lunch break!

Always amazed at how the knicker stitchers on Corronation St can go back to operating a sewing machine after a drink at lunchtime!

There was always wine in the office kitchen in my last workplace. A few days I'd be staying late, waiting for a call to come in, I'd have a glass of wine.

This was in a bank, but none of us had direct access to any money, so there was no danger of someone going mad on a bottle of dodgy Chilean merlot. Perhaps they made the wine deliberately naff.

In general, I have no problem with drinking in work, so long as you're not getting absolutely potted.

DEFTLEFTHAND

Find the foreman and report him, he'll be out on his ear by lunchtime. No reputable contractor would tolerate such antics on a building site. This fella could be operating heavy machinery or anything.

Fleawuss

My line always is: if something tragic happens afterwards and I did nothing I'd feel guilty. Make an anonymous tip off to the boss and you're in the clear.

Stonedpilot

Knew a mad guard, bit soft in the head type. Was mates with lad I use to live with. Would think nothing of it to pop over, have a can and a joint or two only to go back to his squad car and finish his shift 'filling in stupid paperwork about some gowl's fighting'. Often asked him would he be on patrol stoned. Ah well the odd time he'd say, once we were called out to an ould lad's house and he reported someone or some ghosts0 in his house only when we popped out he had about €500's worth of coke on the kitchen counter and said oulr lad coked up to the gills. Wasn't €500 quids worth when we reported it he'd say and as he was saying this to me he'd be pouring himself into the squad car eyes bloodshot to hell; driving away cautiously.

Stonedpilot

D3V!L wrote: »

An ex colleague of mine working as a contractor in a very very large well known company is persistently stoned in work. I made an official complaint about him and then "complaints" started coming in from unknown sources about me and my work.

This sort of carry on and covering up is more prevalent than you think OP.

+1

Very true, the covering of asses in some companies beggars belief.

RDM_83 again

Is there somebody else you could ring other than the health and safety office like a foreman or something?
If they do a piss test on the whole site it will bust all the smokers who do it in their own time, is a mild high worse for safety than lads pulling 70 hour weeks and never sleeping? I'm not sure if it would be.
Don't like working with hungover machine drivers but if your man is a general labourer he probably isn't causing any bother

Stonedpilot

Knew a fella once whom worked in a crap office with, wore sunnies all the time to hide his bloodshot eyes. Stoned after every lunch. His car smelt like an Amsterdam coffee shop.

Aineoil

Just a quick question.

If someone you work with complains about you, are you entitled to know who? Can they remain anonymous?

4ensic15

Aineoil wrote: »

Just a quick question.

If someone you work with complains about you, are you entitled to know who? Can they remain anonymous?

A person is entitled to confront their accuser and cross examine them by counsel.
The only way they can remain anonymous is if their complaint is investigated by someone else who can verify it independently. E.G. if there is a complaint that X comes in late every morning and someone else watches for X and sees X coming in late, well and good.
If however X is told someone (we are not saying who) saw you coming in late every day last week, that is not OK.

Miss Demeanour

I remember working in a place years ago where it was standard practice to go to the early house on a Friday morning and come in half cut for the Friday night shift.....
I remember being pallet wrapped into a chair....getting piggy backs back to the floor from the canteen......having forty winks on a desk......if the bosses had seen us!!!!!











And eh I was the 'supervisor' at the time!!!

andekwarhola

Based on memories of my 'dance culture' friendship circles in the 90s, never ever pay good money to get your spectacle prescriptions made up in South West Dublin on a Saturday or a Sunday morning.

Sir Osis of Liver.

Don't report the lad.
I gave years working on sites both here and abroad and smoking a bit of dope came with the territory.It helps make an extremely hard physical job more bearable.
Mind your own business.

chillin117

ScumLord wrote: »

The majority of construction workers are off their heads on one thing or another. As far as I can tell it's like that in most countries too, it's not just an Irish thing.

Such a sweeping statement, Heard it all now, Gob****e statement. Free mod position with 5 crisp packets, and don't think of banning me because I think you are an idiot. Bet you will though, Ah well.

Surreptitious

I've seen fellas come into work drunk, high etc. Fellas snorting coke off the worktops and smoking joints outside. Seen guys pop to the pub on their split shift. One of the bosses said it wouldn't bother him if I turned up to work drunk. People take speed and all that to get through work, I wouldn't be getting excited over some random person smoking dope.

Smondie

mahoganygas wrote: »

I pass by a huge building site every day. There must be about 100 men working on it.

At lunch time I spotted a few of the lads sitting in the sun and one of them smoking a joint.

I thought nothing of it.
But then I remembered a couple of near misses on that site over the past few months. A gravel lorry knocked down a cyclist. A cinder block fell from above and missed a pedestrian by an inch. A contractor's van was double parked and blocking the lorry entrance. He ran back, jumped in the van to move it, and knocked over one of the builders.

Building sites are dangerous places. It got me thinking. That lad shouldn't be stoned on a site.

Would you report seeing a builder smoking a joint on his lunch break?
Or would you mind your own business?

This guy is laying blocks, driving gravel lorries and working for the contractor driving his van.

Are you sure it wasn't speed he was smoking?

bmwguy

It was common, not sure if it still is, for British office workers to go to the pub and have a beer or 2 with lunch. Would be sacked in Ireland, if you even came back for the afternoon, that is