Airflow Physics

Time and time again I am amazed at the lack of perception of airflow dynamics with this company.

Larger contracting companies usually seem to understand 'positive pressure' dynamics and are able to design systems to accommodate sensitive work environments (i.e. ones that require as little dust as possible leaving the work-space), but the sub-contractor I work for, as well as my co-workers, are completely lost on anything resembling the use of airflow to make for a safer work environment. If a fan, or fans, exists, I can just about guarantee that their primary use will be aimed directly at individual workers. The futility of this mindset was never more apparent than two days ago where I was up on a large Baker scaffolding in a cottage room - I was able to watch the thick airborne dust just go in circles around the room instead of being made to go anywhere other than my immediate work area.

Did the airflow feel good? Sure, it felt better then no airflow, but I was dustier, and crustier, because of it. I can't say it did my lungs any favors, either, despite having on a cheap paper mask that does seem to block about 99% of the particulate.

Would I have rather had a fan at one end of the cottage blowing cleaner air in, and one fan at the opposite end of the cottage blowing dirtier air out? Yeah, I would, but I've learned the hard way that adjusting fans in this manner earns the ire of my co-workers, thus I just continue to live with "it is what it is" and get on with the job.

Do I really have to title each entry?

Now that I've recovered, I guess I ought to explain the 'sleeping' on the job a little better from that first blog entry.

It's not that we normally get any down-time while on the clock, but yesterday was odd for a number of reasons. The travel times, the waiting for the ferry, break-time, and being all geared up, but waiting on another subcontractor to show up so we could get our job started all contributed to me being able to take, at most, a 3-minute nap in response to not having slept more then four or five hours per night - and either working or preparing for work every minute I was awake of those days.

The original impetus for this blog was, as I have written, just curious and odd things that come up when doing our odd form of construction. Four weeks ago I was wishing I had already created the blog as we had a really bad day when a co-worker was almost killed on the job. He was, and is, screwed up badly. He may never be able to walk or work normally again, but at least he's alive. Perhaps I'll describe that event better at some later date, but for now I think it is safe to say that we probably do one of the most dangerous types of construction work, with some of the largest tools, and it just doesn't always end up well for everyone involved.

First blog, simple entry

I've been meaning to create a blog based on my experiences as a 'anonymous' construction worker. All too often I am driving home, or back to the shop, and thinking that I should at least write a record of what I've seen; though, at this point, I'm not sure if it would be more for me, or for readers...

I digress, and it is already midnight on yet another 16-hour day where I found myself putting out maximum effort (or there-abouts) for minimum pay.

First point of entry: The places I fell asleep today (after working from very early in the morning to between 10 PM and midnight each day for a week, except for the weekend):
- In a wheelbarrow
- on a moving barge
- in the dirty bed of a pickup waiting for aforementioned barge/ferry
- in a pickup on the ride back to the shop
- on a swing-stage scaffolding six-stories high and swaying in the tropical depression's increasing winds and gusts

I'm beat, and I'm not liking my output nor my interactions with people and, believe it or not, tasks and tools, so I just called off of work for Friday morning. I still offered to go in for the night shift to be back on the swing stage, even though I think it is getting dangerous with the winds pickup up.