We Just Don't Trust You.
You don't have to look far for examples of the mistrust that fuels the 'them and us' culture in construction.
"But we meant well", doesn't cut it anymore. We should take responsibility for crap we have come up with, apologise, stop it and move on.
Here's an example -
The green light on the back of small dumpers, like the one above or externally positioned on a range of other plant, that flashes when the operator plugs in the seat-belt.
Purpose - to tell us (everyone else other than the driver) that the seat-belt is engaged. I'm hoping at this point you see the irony.
You could argue that as a driver of a dumper, if I see Matt over there and his light is flashing, I then go, "ok, well, if Matt is wearing his belt, I'll wear mine too." But that's not what happens.
The green light was put on so that 'us' could see if 'them' were complying from a distance. "Look, Matt is driving his dumper and the green light isn't flashing, that wee bugger must not be wearing his seatbelt again."
But Matt is clever, he knows you have put that green light on there becasue you don't trust him. After all, if you were really helping him, you'd have invented something that reminded him to put on his seatbelt, you know, like those helpful car manufactures did! So Matt feels a bit annoyed by this lack of trust and decides, as a protest to circumvent the technology, fasten the seatbelt and sit on it. Ha! there ya go, I'll show you!
Ok, so that's not everyone, I'd imagine that a lot of operators have just given up and accepted that they aren't trusted to work safely and begrudgingly comply. Dogged into safe working instead of actively looking after themselves becasue they feel valued and respected.
All just a bit sad really.
