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Glossary entry

French term or phrase:

ouvrier suiveur

English translation:

groundworker/groundwork labourer

Added to glossary by Althea Draper
Aug 11, 2020 20:36
3 yrs ago
42 viewers *
French term

ouvrier suiveur

French to English Tech/Engineering Construction / Civil Engineering Class of employee on BE work site
URGENT!

As far as I can ascertain, this is a certain class of employee, who seems in some way to 'follow' the plant digging e.g. a trench and do the next stage of the work.

It is only relevant in my text (a H&S plan) because these people have to wear certain protective equipment (hard-hats, etc.), and in the context, they are lumped together with "site visitors"

Here's the sole bullet point in which it appears:

" - Port obligatoire de vêtements de signalisation, d’un casque et de chaussures de sécurité pour les « ouvriers suiveurs » et les « visiteurs du chantier » "
Proposed translations (English)
3 +1 groundworker/groundwork labourer
3 shorer; (Can.) trench shoring labour/er
References
fwiw/hth
reference
Change log

Aug 24, 2020 08:47: Althea Draper Created KOG entry

Discussion

B D Finch Aug 22, 2020:
@Asker & Tony So, that's a banksperson/banksman in British English.

" In Irish and British civil engineering, a banksman is the person who directs the operation of a crane or larger vehicle from the point near where loads are attached and detached. The term 'dogman' may be used in Australia and New Zealand, while 'spotter' is the more common term in United States."
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Banksman

www.blt999.co.uk/products.php?pg=160
Vehicle Banksperson Safety Training. Bankspersons are operatives trained to direct vehicle movement on or around site. The banksperson may also be responsible for the loading/unloading of lorries and directing the movement of other plant, such as controlling the movements of an excavator, by carefully monitoring the bucket for any obstructions or underground services.
Julie Barber Aug 22, 2020:
thanks for the feedback Tony!
Suzie Withers Aug 18, 2020:
Thanks for the follow-up I noticed that when I searched, only Belgian results came up, so wondered if it was a Belgian special!

I've worked in pipework engineering, where there were welders and welders' mates, and also done some van-driving for a charity, where I had a driver's mate. "Mate" is definitely a bona fide job title in the UK.
Tony M (asker) Aug 18, 2020:
@ All (4) And here is the feedback from the customer:
"When a worker is working on a machine, the "ouvrier suiveur" is the person who stays on the ground and guides him in his work with a shovel, for example when there are cables, pipes, etc. to be avoided. This is a term only used in Belgium."
Tony M (asker) Aug 18, 2020:
@ All (3) DownUnder he would be called an "offsider", which translates "suiveur" perfectly IMO:
"Eliminate the risk - remove the offsider from the work zone – place hard barrier controls ƒ Substitute the risk – substitute ‘hands on’ activity by the offsider"
Maybe simply "assistant", as here: "OFFSIDER. Assistant. The term applies to a bullock drivers assistant who when his services are required works on the off or right hand side of the team." Possibly qualified as "plant offsider" if you're prepared to go the Aussie way !
Plant/Machine operator's assistant? If I were faced with the problem, I might invent "auxiliary groundworker" or "plant/machine auxiliary" in an attempt to attach the groundworker to the machine.
Another DownUnder term would be "mate", as in "driver's mate", the bloke who sits in the passenger seat but helps the driver unload, tie down loads, etc. That said, I see now that "Driver's mate" is a kosher UK term.
Accident reports refer to plant operators and coworkers. Coworkers who are victims of accidents are not necessarily "attached to" the construction plant in question, but may be.
Tony M (asker) Aug 18, 2020:
@ All (2) It may well comprise the responsibilities of a banksman or plant and vehicle marshaller :
"In Irish and British civil engineering, a banksman is the person who directs the operation of a crane or larger vehicle from the point near where loads are attached and detached. The term 'dogman' may be used in Australia and New Zealand, while 'spotter' is the more common term in United States.[1]"
"Plant and vehicle marshaller: A Plant and vehicle marshaller should be provided in a safe position to direct excavator operation and any pedestrian movements."
A banksman doubles as "groundworker" here: "To optimise the tonnage of active waste in 8 and 12yd3 builders’ skips, an excavator with banksman supervision (provided by the Groundworker) shall be used to compact the waste by placing the bucket onto the waste in the skip".
While a groundworker may be attached to an item of construction plant, he need not be, whereas "suiveur" implies that he is, necessarily.
Tony M (asker) Aug 18, 2020:
@ All (1) Here's some most helpful input from our much-missed expert former colleague:

"In earthworks, a suiveur - "SUIVEUR DE CONDUITE D'ENGIN" - is someone who works on foot and by hand in close proximity to - "attached to" - some item of construction plant, esp. excavators. In this example from Belgium they say he does the fiddly bits the machine can't do:
Pour l'un de nos clients, spécialisé dans la pose d'impétrants, nous recherchons actuellement un suiveur machiniste pour la région de Verviers. Vous serez chargé :
• De creuser à la pelle là ou les machines ne savent pas atteindre;
• D'aider à la pose d'impétrants.
• Vous avez une expérience en tant que suiveur machiniste dans le secteur de la pose d'impétrants;
• Vous êtes motivé et courageux;
• Vous aimez le travail extérieur.
The photo here says it all: https://www.paramaribo-formation.fr/post/les-suiveurs-de-con...
Julie Barber Aug 13, 2020:
I disagree and think that it is clearly a description of the person's role and that it's important not to overcomplicate it. The fact that it is in a H&S plan is irrelevant to providing a person's job title. The only other suggestion that I can think of for consideration is workers accompanying the visitors.
B D Finch Aug 13, 2020:
@Julie If you read the question, you'll see that this is from an H&S plan, so it is not a description of the job role. Having spent time checking H&S plans and contractors' compliance with them, I am quite sure that the job role is not very relevant here, what is relevant is where and when the person would be working.
Julie Barber Aug 13, 2020:
Thanks BD. As it's a description of the job role, I don't think that the H&S point matters (it just says they have to wear particular clothing) so doesn't impact upon the term as such.
B D Finch Aug 13, 2020:
@Julie "Helper" is an American term, I think we still use the (friendlier) term "mate" in England. However, I don't think that's right because this is a Health and Safety issue that applies to any worker following behind the trench digging plant, whatever their skill level or status.
Julie Barber Aug 13, 2020:
Hi Tony
Would a Construction Helper cover it perhaps?
https://www.thebalancecareers.com/what-does-a-construction-h... I read job ads in French with "suiveur", and went on to see Construction Helper and also Construction Field Assistant
B D Finch Aug 12, 2020:
@Tony I agree with you that "ouvrier suiveur" means the worker doing whatever work needs to be done immediately behind the excavating plant. There might not be a specific term for this in English. I don't think that the term in any way relates to that worker's qualifications or lack of them. So, you could simply use something like "worker following behind" or "follow-on worker". Note that the need to wear PPE depends on when and where one is working or visiting and is absolutely unrelated to status or qualifications.
Suzie Withers Aug 12, 2020:
Junior or assistant? All of the "suiveur" adverts I've seen are about someone who understands and has experience of working in the particular trade, but does not carry out the specialised part of the job, they follow instructions and do the preparation or assisting tasks. A couple of examples:

Définition du métier Suiveur soudeur (Ouvrier) : Ouvriers non qualifiés exécutant des tâches spécifiques de la mécanique industrielle, en dehors de ceux travaillant sur une machine-outil au formage, au découpage ou à l'usinage des métaux. Leur travail varie selon les cas : traitement thermique, peinture, contrôle, assemblage de pièces mécaniques. Ils peuvent travailler soit en atelier, dans le cadre d'un travail parcellisé en grande série, soit sur un chantier du bâtiment.

https://www.optioncarriere.be/jobad/befd051f4dd6f2b394042081...
Zeineb Nalouti Aug 11, 2020:
ouvrier non qualifié my understanding is that the workers, being without qualifications (unskilled) have to wear the same protective equipment meant for the visitors

Proposed translations

+1
2 hrs
Selected

groundworker/groundwork labourer

Our equivalent in the UK seems to fall somewhere between labourer and groundworker. Some groundworkers have some official training such as Level2 NVQ but others just need experience. This link is for a Belgian ouvrier suiveur position - https://emplois.be.indeed.com/emplois?q=Suiveur&l&ts=1597180... and this one for a UK groundwork labourer https://www.indeed.co.uk/Groundwork-Labourer-jobs?vjk=552c70... , and this is a labourer/groundworker https://www.penninehome.co.uk/content/uploads/2017/02/pennin... They seem quite similar but I think an ouvrier suiveur is closer to the groundwork labourer.
Peer comment(s):
neutral B D Finch : I think you are drawing unjustified conclusions from, and possibly misinterpreting, a single ad. The "deux ouvriers expérimentés avec qui vous travaillerez" may well have also been "suiveurs" if "avec première expérience" was the status indicator.
17 hrs
You've looked at the wrong ad. The one the link is for "Suiveur machiniste/ouvrier en terrassement" which asks for someone to "De creuser à la pelle là ou les machines ne savent pas atteindre; D'aider à la pose d'impétrants."
agree Julie Barber
12 days
Thanks Julie
Something went wrong...
3 KudoZ points awarded for this answer. Comment: "Thank you very much, Althea; although I think this probably does cover a broader general category of worker, this is the term validated by the customer."
2 hrs

shorer; (Can.) trench shoring labour/er

..... qualifié dans les poses d’égouts et de raccordements suggests no ordinary 'navvy' and certainly not a foreman in charge.

It would be odd if these workers were unskilled 'handymen'.
Example sentence:

TRAVAUX Nous recherchons pour entrée immédiate: Un ouvrier-suiveur qualifié dans les poses d’égouts et de raccordements. Un ouvrier de voirie qualifié dans la pose d’éléments linéaires, la réalisation de petites maçonneries, le raccordeme

IATE: fr suiveur d'ouvrage en process man

Reference:

http://www.trageco.be/wp-content/uploads/2018/01/annonce-15012018.pdf

http://ca.indeed.com/Shoring-jobs

Note from asker:
Thanks so much, Adrian, for your contribution. In this instance, I think this <i>would</i> be too specific, since they are only being generally referred to as a group of people, as opposing 'site visitors' and (by implication only) 'plant operators / drivers'.
Peer comment(s):
neutral B D Finch : I think that is too specific.// I'm quite sure that it isn't a specific job title that's not how one instructs the wearing of hard hats, which are worn according to the risks people are exposed to, i.e. their location rather than status or job title.
16 hrs
You think! It is a specific job title vs. un ouvrier de voirie. The only reason I didn't restate the 'process man' was that I couldn't tie up the label with my brother-in-law's UK building site pedigree// Right! But NB my hyphenated vs. unhyphenated title
Something went wrong...

Reference comments

13 hrs
Reference:

fwiw/hth

ouvrier suvieur en voirie

description de la fonction
En tant qu'ouvrier routier suiveur, vos tâches principales seront les suivantes:

- installer et approvisionner son poste de travail;
- réaliser les opérations d'excavation;
- réaliser la pose d'un réseau d'égouts;
- réaliser la pose de conduites et de câbles divers;
- réaliser la pose d'éléments linéaires de surface;
- réaliser un revêtements de trottoirs et de chaussées;
- poser la signalisation et le mobilier urbains.

vos atouts
Vous êtes notre ouvrier suiveur idéal si:

- le pavage n'a plus de secret pour vous
- vous faites preuve de rigueur dans votre travail;
- vous respectez les normes de sécurité;
- vous êtes un homme de terrain qui apprécie le travail en extérieur.
https://www.randstad.be/fr/candidats/jobs/detail/job/man��uv...
Peer comments on this reference comment:
neutral B D Finch : Nice, but it fails to explain why the person is a "suiveur". Randstad could do with changing "un homme de terrain" to something gender-neutral.
6 hrs
Randstad is Nl/Bel. Don't hold your breath...
agree SafeTex : this is a valid reference and I don't see why it can be criticized as Randstad is not in the business of translating but of advertising jobs
8 hrs
Something went wrong...
13 hrs
Reference:

reference

Puis-je travailler seul sur un chantier ? | Prévention BTP - En ...endirectavec.preventionbtp.fr › puis-...
Translate this page
Le fait de pouvoir travailler seul sur un chantier dépend de la nature des travaux à ... ou la présence d'un surveillant de travaux (ou suiveur) est nécessaire.

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Note added at 13 hrs (2020-08-12 10:01:58 GMT)
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The only other entry, on Proz, was for "trackers"

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Note added at 13 hrs (2020-08-12 10:10:59 GMT)
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en creusant, je découvre un grillage avertisseur. la canalisationwww.dictservices.fr › 2017/02 › V2_...
PDFTranslate this page
limites de sécurité sous le contrôle d'un surveillant. Relèvent notamment ... En outre,*** la présence d'une personne exerçant une surveillance visuelle (suiveur)***est obligatoire : • en cas ... A L'ouvrier qui touche la benne preneuse. B L'ouvrier qui ...

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Note added at 13 hrs (2020-08-12 10:11:21 GMT)
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p.s. from what I have seen of job descriptions these people are skilled:)
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