00:00.00 archpodnet Ah, it's called podcast podcast appropriation all right here we go welcome to the show. Everyone joining me today is Heather in California Andrew in California and Doug in. 00:00.00 Heather But plagiarism. Um. 00:08.87 Heather Hi everyone thanks for joining. 00:13.30 Andrew Kinkella Hey guys, what's up. 00:17.24 Heather Are. 00:18.49 archpodnet Scotland are you back? Okay, all right just making sure I wasn't wouldn't sure where you were at what you were doing speaking of doug. It's where're we're rotating topics through the hosts as we as we move along now it's kind of a. 00:18.49 Doug Yeah I'm I'm in Scotland I'm back I've been back for a couple weeks though. 00:34.93 archpodnet New-ish thing we're trying we've tried it in the past. But I think it's working out pretty well right now and this week is Doug's topic so Doug what are we talking about today. 00:41.19 Doug Well, it's following on from the podcast like 2 podcasts to ago about covid and how it's changing the way we work and I know we're somewhat I don't know I can't figure out the right way to describe it. We've moved to a new phase of the pandemic where it's. 00:59.60 archpodnet Um. 01:01.40 Doug It's less lockdowns and ah ah more I know living with it. Um, but it's to see how how things have changed and how do you guys? Imagine things will be permanently changed into the future. 01:06.00 archpodnet Yeah, yeah. 01:16.26 archpodnet Me. 01:18.40 Doug Um, and how we're going to be dealing with Covid since essentially it's not going away. Um and we just keep gaining new variants and we're doing less lockdowns and fewer people are dying because of ah vaccines but vaccines are only pretty much preventing. Deaths. Not so much of people getting quite sick or having to take time off work which is going to probably impact us well into the future. Um, as it's probably 1 of the well it seems to be keep getting more and more infectious. Um, and likely you know. 01:52.16 archpodnet Um, yeah. 01:55.78 Doug If you have a field crew and people come down with covid that means your entire crew is likely to come down with covid unless we keep up a lot of the sort of protocols that we've implemented over the last two years so as to see how things have changed for you guys and how you think things are going to be changing the future. Um. 02:06.50 archpodnet 1 02:14.76 Doug For work and you know also things like field schools and various other public engagement events. Whatever everything that we do in archeology. So. 02:16.59 archpodnet Yeah, yeah. 02:22.43 archpodnet Well, we definitely have some people on the show here that can speak to both of those things and I'll start off though because 1 of the big things I've noticed that is different is you know, right? when covid hit people suddenly realized that. Oh hey we should probably have a digital solution for archeology and and in a way for people to access data and manipulate data and share data from the field in an easy way and ah, you know I had a heck of a time when I was. Really doing sales for wild note I don't do that anymore. I more of a consultant now. But when I was trying to do sales for wild note and talk to archaeologists and and not only just wild note. But before that when I was with codify and when I was doing my own thing and it was just an uphill battle and people were like nope what we're doing is fine. You know we don't need that you know blah blah blah and then all of a sudden the pandemic hits and everybody wants to talk to wildnote everybody wants a digital solution. You start seeing more and more comments on Facebook people saying hey what are the best tablets out there I haven't seen the what are the best tablets question more than I have in the last two years right because people are. Finally realizing that they need to do something like that and and I personally think that that will be 1 of the lasting impacts of of covid and in fact, on the archaeot tech podcast and if you're listening to this in real time. It was the last episode that came out we interviewed somebody. Up in British Columbia who is developing a completely new application for digital site recording. It's more based on Eastern Canada basically as far as where they're starting, but it's ah it's an application that's going to be up and coming in the next couple of years and I hope we get more people into that space and I and I think that's a direct result of. This need that has formed and will continue once people start doing it I'm I'm interested to see Heather if your company has changed their digital practices at all or enhanced or if you guys were already doing something that was covid. You know covid aware that was that you're able to do with that. 04:11.95 Heather No. 04:17.89 Heather Um, yeah, well for did our procedures have changed in so many different aspects but specifically when it comes to digital. We were already digital. Um, it's who was using it. 04:21.97 archpodnet Or or how your procedures changed. 04:31.27 archpodnet Yeah. 04:36.36 Heather Um, our company is very um, open to people doing what works for them as far as team leads go I was very big on digital I love the digital. Um I I guess that's why we get along Chris but um I think. 04:42.29 archpodnet Sure. 04:53.89 Heather Um, we have our own proprietary. You know I've already talked about that um digital forms that work really well. But you know we're always improving them and I think more people Obviously we are looking for efficiency in the field. Um, not every archeologist you know? that's just kind of archeologists. 04:55.83 archpodnet Um, yeah, um. 05:13.16 Heather Ah, historically really aren't business minded so they're not always. They're like I'll get it done when I get it done but um, this kind of put the pressure on because when you were working with fewer field crews I mean especially in the beginning where. 05:15.49 archpodnet Um, Brett. 05:27.75 Heather There were people who were like I don't want to work I'm not going to work I don't feel comfortable working and so we were always working really shortstaffed and so trying to increase the efficiency was really important and 1 way to do that is digital and so I think um for as far as from from a digital. 05:32.89 archpodnet Hi. 05:47.43 Heather Aspect Um, you know we all have as you know, um activities Hazards analysis these Jhs all these safety protocols that we that um larger companies. Do I think smaller companies do them too. But there are certain especially if you're subbing for a larger company. Ah, they're required and um the idea of tailgates right? So tailgates became something that ah people really struggled with I think um on projects and so we created and we now have tailgates that are and this is actually kind of a recent. Um. 06:11.80 archpodnet Um, yeah. 06:23.69 Heather A recent creation but just because the tailgates weren't working and we need not always and it's important I think a lot of times people think oh just let the contractor take care of that I Just let the construction manager take care of that and I think sometimes as archaeologists. But we're not always really good about the tailg gates. So we've. 06:39.14 archpodnet Yeah. 06:41.43 Heather We have created digital means of doing tailgates and so that um I think that's been really big because it also keeps our staff safe. Um, so that is something probably would not have happened the increase in safety or the focus on safety has been huge and because of that which I know we can talk about that later I think. 06:59.60 archpodnet Um, yeah for sure. 07:00.42 Heather That could probably be a whole segment in and of itself. But um, yeah, this the the increase and the folk the increased focus on safety has been huge which is great. 07:09.70 Doug So Heather tailgates sorry well all I can think of is like a tailgate on a truck when you say that? What what do you mean by tailgates. Yeah yeah. 07:15.43 Heather Yes, football games. Okay sorry so oh sorry, sorry sorry um, ah so tailgates are safety meetings that you have prior to beginning your day. They're very common um in the construction industry where. 07:18.30 Andrew Kinkella I was thinking the exact same I didn't know either. 07:33.59 Heather Ah, everybody all the crew come together. Um, they have either a safety manager or the foreman will go through all the safety measures for that day. Ah, it can go from environmental to we're using these machines and these are the the um the dangers of using these machines. Ah what. Kind of ppe is required for that day and sometimes just something specific like maybe seasonal ah rattlesnakes or or something it's more of a danger right now. Um certain kinds of you know airborne diseases and um that that sort of thing and so. Every every day you're supposed to actually is some some foreman actually will do a entrance like ah, a beginning and and an end of day. Also so not everyone does that but everybody should at least do the first and we call them tailgates. But um. It's a safety, a safety analysis and a safety talk and it the larger the company not necessarily crm. But the larger the construction company the more um specific ah roles that you have so sometimes there are companies that all they have people that all they do is safety. And you'll have a safety manager I worked on a project. Um for four and a half years where we had somebody who was dedicated just to the safety of the project and he would um he would facilitate a safety or a tailgate meeting in the beginning of every day. 09:02.71 archpodnet Nice yeah I knew which you meant Heather by tail gates by the way because you know I'm a professional unlike these other guys. 09:09.72 Heather I I wish I could say it's a football tail game and now yes tail. Sorry. 09:15.65 Andrew Kinkella What's hilarious is I actually remembered after she start to describe it I'm like oh right tailgate meeting I remember the ah um Heather. Um. 09:20.72 archpodnet Are. 09:25.20 Doug Yeah, they're just called Health and safety meetings in the yeah Uk like nothing nothing glamorous about them. 09:29.11 archpodnet Um, that's so boring. It's typically U k. 09:30.18 Andrew Kinkella Ah, you know hey Heather I was curious. Are there any specifics at the moment I know it's a moving goal post but specifics like like mask wearing or something for the for the crew like in the field. 09:30.10 Heather Um, ah. 09:45.79 Heather Yeah, so we right off the bat. We realize that the contagion I mean that you know that is the most. That's the the greatest concern is still wanting to work in sometimes really compact areas right? We're we're in a excavation unit together or. 10:01.96 Andrew Kinkella Ah. 10:05.80 Heather And we're on. We're always passing tools. So the 1 thing that we did and you know I'm not going to say it's been kept up all that well but um I do think that it's it's probably a really good thing for people to have their own tools. 10:06.58 Andrew Kinkella Right. 10:22.86 Heather Um, there are certain tools that you have to like pruning shears or Bolt cutters or you know things that you're not going to use very often. But every archeologist that have their own tools and so we went and invested in buying tools for every single person. Um. We we had to do it really Fast. So I just went and it's funny because I I went back my grandfather was he was our ah Army. Um I can't remember what his rank was but anyway he was Fair. He carried that throughout his life and he was extremely organized and very big on color coding and he loved elect colored electrical tape. 10:58.48 Andrew Kinkella Right. 10:59.89 Heather So I We wrapped every tool with colored electrical tape and everybody was assigned to a color in the beginning of a project and it was their job to clean that tool and to store that tool with them and then at the end of the project if it was something that. We wouldn't need to keep for another project. Otherwise even their personal tools had to be wrapped with that color and the idea was you only touch those tools. That's it No one else does and it really does help um with you know, keeping the the contagious um factor minimized. Um, I would say that um masks Yes, but a lot of people are already wearing masks and now you know we could get into an argument about what mask works you know all of our great stuff. Yeah, well the mask um we were all everybody's been fitted. 11:41.26 Andrew Kinkella Yeah, oh yeah I I'm just curious about like this great this nuts and bolts stuff. You're talking about this is cool. 11:49.96 archpodnet Um, yeah. 11:56.87 Heather All of our crew members and crew supervisors are fitted properly. We actually have somebody who's a professional comes out and fits properly the n ninety five so people know what size and how to wear it. They're taught how to wear it so it actually works and I seen yes n 95 fitting so it has this little spongy around so you have a seal. Um and so everybody was fitted if they hadn't already been fitted. We did that for the um oh my goodness. What's the name of the the deer. Ah the the ah the deer flu not the deer flu. 12:15.39 Andrew Kinkella Right. 12:26.97 archpodnet The deer. 12:32.45 Andrew Kinkella Oh um, a valley fever. 12:32.83 Heather Andrew helped me I completely forgot it's really hot. Yes, thank you thank goodness. That's you know, a lot of times is brought up because of you know the dust in the air. Especially when we're screening and everything um carried with deer mice and and so that the. 12:36.58 archpodnet Yeah. 12:42.34 Andrew Kinkella Right. 12:52.65 Heather The dust when the dear mice poop kind of ends up in the in the soils and then mixes around in the air and so that's that that is huge and that we actually had a recent incident where somebody. 12:54.57 archpodnet Um, well not only that. But yeah, not only that but the Silica from Sand if you're in the right areas gets into your lungs. Yeah yeah. 13:10.62 Heather Had a problem because they inhaled and um yeah I mean at the the Silica I don't think people realize that especially if you've been working in archeology for a while you just don't think of that screening being an issue so now where it used to be not everybody wore a mask. 13:23.67 archpodnet Yeah. 13:28.14 Heather Now it's acceptable where sometimes people would think oh I'm you know I'm Mr. Tough guy I'm a gal I'm not going to wear a mask now. It's pretty standard um to to wear that still yeah so gets pretty. 13:35.32 archpodnet Um, well the thing with the the silica yeah, the thing with the Silica and I have to get this every year when I do my mha refresher but the thing with the Silica is it's I mean sure you could inhale some some silica dust like that and and start coughing right away or something like that. But you don't think of the long term impacts and you can actually get like. 13:44.47 Heather It I mean certainly inhales some self dust. 13:50.23 Heather Like we don't think a longer. Yeah, you can actually get yeah one care for 1 average 10 yes later as this building. 13:53.71 archpodnet Lung cancer and lung damage ten fifteen years later as this builds up in your system. So for you guys as a company to be conscious of these things and concerned with your employees even though they probably won't be your employees if this ever became a problem with them. It's it's very admirable to be honest because you know educating people and saying hey. 14:02.60 Heather And certain your motion. Yeah will be your employee. 14:08.98 Heather It's very helpful to be on understand because you know people say hey it's not going be like that. Yeah I think we we're we're lucky our company never shies away from spending money on anything when it comes to safety and so you know we everybody is. 14:13.40 archpodnet It's not going to be a problem now. But if you do this long enough. It will be. 14:22.61 archpodnet Um, yeah. 14:28.20 archpodnet Nice. 14:27.92 Heather Cpr And first aid trained um and we're constantly training people up beyond that cpr and first aid. Um, we have people are dedicated to training and and making it fun. Um, so that people can constantly walk out and be aware and say you know what? these are. 14:34.30 archpodnet On here. 14:46.50 Heather This This is a real possibility that this might happen or that might happen and I actually had a really funny incident with the safety manager we had somebody scratch themselves with a barbed wire and we had this conversation about what is you know? how could we have improved and the person that it happened to is as needed. 14:55.47 archpodnet Oh gees. 15:06.43 Heather And she was very much just trying to make the safety manager happy and give him a reason or he was like what could you have done that was different. She goes Well you know I guess I could have been more aware and it was tall grass and everything and he he's like so we have a wrap up meeting about how can we do things differently and. 15:08.43 archpodnet M. 15:25.75 Heather He honestly said this is so Heather we suggest that you that we have all cultural staff understand that it's really important that they're always looking down and aware of what's on the ground and I just like I I know I just sort of laughy I'm like. 15:38.98 archpodnet Are you kidding me how novel I think that's the first line in archeology one on 1 right. 15:44.85 Andrew Kinkella Stuff. Yeah, if. 15:45.17 Heather Oh okay, yeah, let me explain to you What we do? Yes funny I think. 15:52.86 Andrew Kinkella You know Heather I think it's I think it's really cool like like what you're doing because what you see there is a bit of a cultural change like you alluded to where you know the guys are like I'm too much over to wear this mask I don't need no mask. But ah I think there's that positive aspect of like. 15:57.10 archpodnet Roof. 15:59.74 Heather Multiple right? Yeah, you know got to be black. 16:05.67 archpodnet Not. 16:05.64 Heather Yeah I heard that. 16:10.92 Andrew Kinkella Something we can take positive you know from the covid experience where it's like hey it's everyone's cool with wearing a mask all the time and now yeah, you won't get ah covered and you also won't get silicosis. So it's 2 for 1 you know and just being safer and realizing that all the stuff that can go in your lungs now a lot less will happen. 16:19.85 Heather And you also won't get filling posted right? So 2 for 1 you know be they feel like the. 16:28.82 Heather Like how many how many people do you think that were reasonable people left our field because they're like this is crazy like I'm not going to go and walk through whatever you know I'm not going to hang from a cliff so I can make sure I touch everything and look at everything in a survey. 16:30.48 Andrew Kinkella Great. 16:37.15 Andrew Kinkella Totally. 16:44.30 Andrew Kinkella That Yep, that's such I think that's I'm sorry I think that's just such a good point That's like a whole show right? there like you know the ah we left archeology because of these dangers here's a list. 16:48.44 Heather And now you know now. Yeah, the point that was shown Yeah because. 16:57.60 archpodnet Yeah, yeah, yeah. 16:57.34 Heather Yeah, and now by giving them giving people the tools to keep themselves safe and to say it's ok for and in fact, not only ok it is customary and you should be looking to make sure that you're safe and if you give people the tools. 17:14.99 Andrew Kinkella Who's. 17:16.90 Heather The concept that maybe the older archaeologists would say oh well, you know that just means nobody's going to want to work. No if you give people the tools to keep them safe. They're going to have the confidence to walk into the field knowing that they're prepared and that they're aware and they'll do better work. 17:20.70 Andrew Kinkella Bri. 17:31.58 Andrew Kinkella Absolutely and that cultural change. You know that's a rarity and it's a good thing. 17:35.76 archpodnet Yeah, all right? Well on that we're going to change out this segment so that was a terrible segue I'm in it. Um, but I'm leaving it in because it's awesome at the same time now. Anyway, this is great discussion I know Doug's got some. 17:34.76 Heather And so. 17:44.77 Heather Yeah, great I know. 17:46.25 Andrew Kinkella Um. 17:52.63 archpodnet Comments coming on to this and we will tackle that on the other side of the break back in a minute.