Today we were faced with the task of interviewing and talking to the more experienced professionals with the hope of getting more insight on our health and safety system and completing our riskmaq assignments.
It seemed we had all created an illusion of what the day would be like and how everything will work out. Little did we know that a simple interview can indeed turn out to be more complex and time-consuming. We did our interview as a group due to time constraints we had and it helped us all because we got to hear everyone's point of view.
We got to a point where the interview could not continue anymore because the interview was become broad and so we had go back to the drawing board and re-construct our questions for the sake of a flowing interview. That took up the rest of our day and I think now we are ready for the interviews and this time around we'll get it right.
One lesson I learnt today is that there are different strokes for different folks...
I cannot even begin to elaborate on that right now, nevertheless it is a learning curve for us and we're not complaining.
For now, I think we all need to rest and recuperate. We'll definitely need the energy tomorrow.
Out.
Wednesday, March 25, 2009
Friday, March 20, 2009
23 March
The end of yet another week at IRCA and it's amazing how we have evolved as the PDP-Squad.
Having completed our sixth course this year and juggling all our responsibilities together, it feels like we are really getting into the gyst if things.
We have been doing our assignments and have all made lots of progress. The assignments are quite lengthy and detailed but they're keeping us on our toes. We are starting to think like Safety Professionals and are applying ourselves likewise. Simultaneously, we're also having lots of fun, so none of us can complain. We all have a lot of work to do and I must say, I am really inspired. Soon we will be co-presenting and I really wanna prep myself for that and do it to the best of my ability...
The PDP family is expecting an additional member not too far from now, so we're all pretty excited for that... Bu for now it's time to get our brains working.
Happy Monday everyone.
Out.
Having completed our sixth course this year and juggling all our responsibilities together, it feels like we are really getting into the gyst if things.
We have been doing our assignments and have all made lots of progress. The assignments are quite lengthy and detailed but they're keeping us on our toes. We are starting to think like Safety Professionals and are applying ourselves likewise. Simultaneously, we're also having lots of fun, so none of us can complain. We all have a lot of work to do and I must say, I am really inspired. Soon we will be co-presenting and I really wanna prep myself for that and do it to the best of my ability...
The PDP family is expecting an additional member not too far from now, so we're all pretty excited for that... Bu for now it's time to get our brains working.
Happy Monday everyone.
Out.
Wednesday, March 18, 2009
RCat, here we go...
After the hectic week we had been through last week, we were faced with the reality of attending yet another course... RCAT!
This time around we had the weekend to digest the idea of another step on the ladder. So I can safely say we started on a good note, with no dramatic entries. My very own Mentor was presenting the course and that made it a very personal experience for me as I was given the opportunity to liase with him on a personal and professional level. So to some extent attending this course felt like attending a "catch up" session with my girlfriends.
On a serious note though, the course managed to somehow "sum up" the content of all the courses we attended prior to this one. The course content was a bit repetitive but we managed to look at certain issues/terms from different angles. It's one thing to know where IRCA Head Office is, but it's another to know how to get there. That's what I managed to walk away with from the course.
The course presentation was done in a very relaxed manner and that made the learning so much more interesting. However, yesterday afternoon we started the practical aspect of the course and "what a procedure!!". For my personal health and safety protection that's all I can say :-), I'm sure Diggy knows exactly what I mean. Nevertheless, the practical was fruitful and insightful. Had we not done the practical, I doubt any of us would possess the confidence to participate in an incident investigation.
To sum it all up, it was a lengthy, interesting, dynamic and detailed course, from which I learned a lot about myself and applying myself towards others. Thanks Wim, I had so much fun learning from and with you.
All that's left to say is: "SHEEWWWW!!!"
Out.
This time around we had the weekend to digest the idea of another step on the ladder. So I can safely say we started on a good note, with no dramatic entries. My very own Mentor was presenting the course and that made it a very personal experience for me as I was given the opportunity to liase with him on a personal and professional level. So to some extent attending this course felt like attending a "catch up" session with my girlfriends.
On a serious note though, the course managed to somehow "sum up" the content of all the courses we attended prior to this one. The course content was a bit repetitive but we managed to look at certain issues/terms from different angles. It's one thing to know where IRCA Head Office is, but it's another to know how to get there. That's what I managed to walk away with from the course.
The course presentation was done in a very relaxed manner and that made the learning so much more interesting. However, yesterday afternoon we started the practical aspect of the course and "what a procedure!!". For my personal health and safety protection that's all I can say :-), I'm sure Diggy knows exactly what I mean. Nevertheless, the practical was fruitful and insightful. Had we not done the practical, I doubt any of us would possess the confidence to participate in an incident investigation.
To sum it all up, it was a lengthy, interesting, dynamic and detailed course, from which I learned a lot about myself and applying myself towards others. Thanks Wim, I had so much fun learning from and with you.
All that's left to say is: "SHEEWWWW!!!"
Out.
Friday, March 13, 2009
Friday the 13th...
After the shortest weekend of my life, I woke up on monday morning hoping there would be an announcement regarding the mix up in the day of the week. To no avail, it was indeed monday and I had to "face the music".
We started the week as Inspectors, which was a sudden turn as just the other day we were labourers. We had a book compiled by our ever-so-caring Wesley, which provided a good starting point for us. Our inspections managed to keep us busy for the first two days of the week and lead to the discontinuation of our "on-site" experience. We had gained all we possibly could from the practical and it was what I regard as a serious eye opener! Hmmmm, we have a lot of work to do... But thats a story for another day!
So on Wednesday we headed back to the office with the hope of making some progress on our RiskMaq Assignments, completing our inspections and in essence picking up where we left off. We made progress and just as we were unpacking our "luggage", we were on the road again! For a moment it felt like we were in The Great Trek era, but I am not complaining!
We were invited to a conference at the Indaba Hotel hosted by SAFECONEX. It was such a diverse arena and we were surrounded by plenty PPE suppliers. A lot was going on and it felt like I was doing promotions all over again. We were literally selling the PDP brand, there was immense interest shown by the people attending the exhibition. Not forgetting to mention that the food was also great inspiration. We survived the expo and even indulged in the talks/lecturers that were in progress. I think the expo is a great idea and it's a wonderful advertising and marketing opportunity, when the time comes around next year, I would definitely love to be more involved. It seems there are plenty of willing individuals out there, all with the same vision of making a difference. I say bring it on...
The week has ended on a good note and it's time to tackle our assignments and all the work we neglected! It's business as usual, but for now it's weekend time...
Have a good one all and be good.
Out
We started the week as Inspectors, which was a sudden turn as just the other day we were labourers. We had a book compiled by our ever-so-caring Wesley, which provided a good starting point for us. Our inspections managed to keep us busy for the first two days of the week and lead to the discontinuation of our "on-site" experience. We had gained all we possibly could from the practical and it was what I regard as a serious eye opener! Hmmmm, we have a lot of work to do... But thats a story for another day!
So on Wednesday we headed back to the office with the hope of making some progress on our RiskMaq Assignments, completing our inspections and in essence picking up where we left off. We made progress and just as we were unpacking our "luggage", we were on the road again! For a moment it felt like we were in The Great Trek era, but I am not complaining!
We were invited to a conference at the Indaba Hotel hosted by SAFECONEX. It was such a diverse arena and we were surrounded by plenty PPE suppliers. A lot was going on and it felt like I was doing promotions all over again. We were literally selling the PDP brand, there was immense interest shown by the people attending the exhibition. Not forgetting to mention that the food was also great inspiration. We survived the expo and even indulged in the talks/lecturers that were in progress. I think the expo is a great idea and it's a wonderful advertising and marketing opportunity, when the time comes around next year, I would definitely love to be more involved. It seems there are plenty of willing individuals out there, all with the same vision of making a difference. I say bring it on...
The week has ended on a good note and it's time to tackle our assignments and all the work we neglected! It's business as usual, but for now it's weekend time...
Have a good one all and be good.
Out
Thursday, March 5, 2009
Construction-destruction!!
What a month...oops I meant week! (It sure felt like a month)
Our journey to the paving/construction industry was introduced at an unexpected time and the idea alone left us puzzled and curious. To our satisfaction our curiosity fed our hungry brains while grafting our lives away.
The site we visited was in Melrose Arch and we were working as labourers in a paving company.
We were all pretty chuffed with ourselves as we were mingling with the "giants" of the construction industry - Murray and Roberts. Twas quite an experience! However, contradictory to their massive name and reputation, the safety induction we received was not-so-impressive. Nevertheless we managed to grasp the important factors and import all the "knowledge" we needed to remain safe on site.
So the journey started after a long morning and unusual training session. We received a warm welcome from our fellow labourers and in no time we were grafting like never before, literally.
The days became longer and the progress was gradual, yet we met interesting and dynamic individuals. Be it labourer, foreman, supervisor; the guys we met were great! Props to Earth Civils for their great team!
While on site we also managed to integrate all our in-house training outcomes with real-life experiences! That was a reality check! Funny how one became so observant of the safety involved in performing the various tasks. I cannot even begin to explain how many substandard acts and conditions I witnessed. Its amazing how the people continue doing jobs which put their lives at risk. To some extent we also needed to place ourselves in the position of the people and try to understand the reasons why these behaviours are performed. This was the main purpose of the practical.
That said, we had to move on to communication and building bonds with our fellow workers. Which was the only way we could find out more about their jobs and personal experiences. This was very difficult for me to achieve as I had what many may call a "fan club" and hence conversing with some of the guys was an overwhelming process. There were a couple of people who I made friends with though, and I learnt a lot from.
The past week definately served as a learning curve for me and I can finally have a conversation with the guys regarding things such as types of bricks, cement, machinery... the works! All in all it was great fun!
The downfall came when I was exposed to a great amount of dust (which I am allergic to). This managed to rekindle my timely hayfever and led to me being very sick and nasal. Nothing a good rest and medication could not handle though.
Our hard work continues in Strydom Park and we're yet to see what will come out of it.
So far, so good...
Out.
Our journey to the paving/construction industry was introduced at an unexpected time and the idea alone left us puzzled and curious. To our satisfaction our curiosity fed our hungry brains while grafting our lives away.
The site we visited was in Melrose Arch and we were working as labourers in a paving company.
We were all pretty chuffed with ourselves as we were mingling with the "giants" of the construction industry - Murray and Roberts. Twas quite an experience! However, contradictory to their massive name and reputation, the safety induction we received was not-so-impressive. Nevertheless we managed to grasp the important factors and import all the "knowledge" we needed to remain safe on site.
So the journey started after a long morning and unusual training session. We received a warm welcome from our fellow labourers and in no time we were grafting like never before, literally.
The days became longer and the progress was gradual, yet we met interesting and dynamic individuals. Be it labourer, foreman, supervisor; the guys we met were great! Props to Earth Civils for their great team!
While on site we also managed to integrate all our in-house training outcomes with real-life experiences! That was a reality check! Funny how one became so observant of the safety involved in performing the various tasks. I cannot even begin to explain how many substandard acts and conditions I witnessed. Its amazing how the people continue doing jobs which put their lives at risk. To some extent we also needed to place ourselves in the position of the people and try to understand the reasons why these behaviours are performed. This was the main purpose of the practical.
That said, we had to move on to communication and building bonds with our fellow workers. Which was the only way we could find out more about their jobs and personal experiences. This was very difficult for me to achieve as I had what many may call a "fan club" and hence conversing with some of the guys was an overwhelming process. There were a couple of people who I made friends with though, and I learnt a lot from.
The past week definately served as a learning curve for me and I can finally have a conversation with the guys regarding things such as types of bricks, cement, machinery... the works! All in all it was great fun!
The downfall came when I was exposed to a great amount of dust (which I am allergic to). This managed to rekindle my timely hayfever and led to me being very sick and nasal. Nothing a good rest and medication could not handle though.
Our hard work continues in Strydom Park and we're yet to see what will come out of it.
So far, so good...
Out.
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