Man dies after inhaling fungal spores

[Pete Mctree]

 

I know this because our President said so - and our press loves him and everything he says because it's true.

 

Why should you doubt him?

[Andy Collins]

Lymes disease is very rare.

Think of all the people in Britain out there in the wilds in summer. How many cases per year?

You don't always know you have been biten by a tick and even if you do you can't see one third of your body to check if it is Lymes carrier.

So apart from including this in risk assesments do we carry assorted mirrors with us or get work mates to do full body check every day?

 

I asked a local GP friend about this very thing as he lives on the moors. He just laughed. Didn't even answer me and looked at me with a strained look on his face. The expression he meets his hypochondriac patients with.

Not taking the mick here, just think life is risky and we don't have to write every risk down on a peice of paper.

 

Sorry but I disagree here totally, these risks are equally as dangerous to your health as a bad chainsaw cut, if you are in any hazardous environment, whether risk of injury or risk to health, this should be covered in R/A. Common sense MUST prevail tho, if the risk is low or non-existant, then it does not warrant time spent assessing it, but if high, then deal accordingly. For your GP friend to have that attitude is deplorable, its his job afterall to treat the sick.

[David oakman]

Six weeks ago on friday i was walking around our largest wood looking for wild flowers,i spooked 4 fallow deer and 2roe, on sunday morning i was rushed to hospital my body had shut down. I spent 8 days in hospital on a drip pumped full of anti biotics and i could not walk for 5 weeks i had blood poisoning in my leg it distroyed musle and skin and my limph glands. the doctors still dont know what it was i wonder? if ihad a tick bite. i am back to work now but my foot is puffed up by tea time and turns blue. ps i dont want to frighten any woodman but as already said health and safety means think about your health and keep safe.

[Mr Ed]

Sorry but I disagree here totally, these risks are equally as dangerous to your health as a bad chainsaw cut, if you are in any hazardous environment, whether risk of injury or risk to health, this should be covered in R/A. Common sense MUST prevail tho, if the risk is low or non-existant, then it does not warrant time spent assessing it, but if high, then deal accordingly. For your GP friend to have that attitude is deplorable, its his job afterall to treat the sick.

 

I agree. Its quite easy as an experienced operator to mitigate and reduce risk with a chainsaw - But lyme's disease is very real, and a harder risk to guard against. I've had tick bites before now from walking in heather, one could easily have given my something nasty.

[conkers]

Sorry but I disagree here totally, these risks are equally as dangerous to your health as a bad chainsaw cut, if you are in any hazardous environment, whether risk of injury or risk to health, this should be covered in R/A. Common sense MUST prevail tho, if the risk is low or non-existant, then it does not warrant time spent assessing it, but if high, then deal accordingly. For your GP friend to have that attitude is deplorable, its his job afterall to treat the sick.

 

My point is not about Lymes disease in isolation but the whole risk assesment-paperwork thing.

We WILL all be drowned in paperwork and the whole point of doing this job will get lost in more and more administration.

My head is not in the sand- we do r/a's but a line has to be drawn on personal responsibility.

If anyone is in this industry as a climber or groundy and is so vague to the point of needing babysitting through every contract then they should be thinking about a career change. It ain't for everybody.

[renewablejohn]

Farmers lung used to be a real problem before the days of air conditioned cabs now you have to remind workers to put a mask on when working in dusty conditions and I would include handling woodchips in this category. It should be automatic ear defenders for noise, face mask for dust and glasses to protect your precious eyes.