There's not much I negotiate on site.
Safety is one of those things.
You can be good with tools. You can work hard. You can be quick. None of that matters if you're not looking after yourself while you're doing it.
Because this job doesn't give warnings.
One bad cut, one bit of debris in your eye, one day without hearing protection — and it's not a small problem. It's permanent. It stays with you long after the fence is finished.
I've seen how easy it is for people to get comfortable. Goggles come off because it's "just one cut." Hearing protection gets skipped because it's "only for a minute."
That minute is all it takes.
So the rule's simple.
You wear your safety gear, or you're off site.
No long conversations. No second chances in the moment.
Because it's not just about safety — it sets a standard.
The way you show up. The way you work. The way you carry yourself on site. If you're willing to cut corners on something that important, it shows in everything else too.
Wearing the gear is respect.
Respect for yourself. For your body. For the work you're doing.
And for me.
Because I'm not running a site where people get hurt over something that could've been avoided.
We were working a job in Richmond not long ago — tight terrace block, limited access, tools and materials stacked in a narrow passage. Exactly the kind of site where you can get complacent. Everything was close together, the work was moving fast, and that's when it matters most.
A safe site runs better. People think clearer. The work stays clean.
It's not complicated.
You respect the work.
You respect the tools.
And you respect yourself enough to do it properly.