Safety - say it like it is...

[difflock]

Psst

Un-common sense

Apparently.

Would any of "youse" let a groundy climb a tree with a chain-saw.

Why do some remain "groundies"?

LA are convinced that any sows ear can, with appropriate training and supervision, of course, be made into a wonderous silk purse.

Cos to do owt else ud infringe on their 'uman rights.

[Mat]

Kevin.

Apologies, but since I have worked in Northern Ireland Local Government since 1984, I beg to differ.

Senior officers prefer acolytes to good safe, productive (but challenging, cos hey dey got a functioning brain, like!) workers.

Thust me, I know, unfortunately for my mental wellbeing.

From a humble supervisory perspective.

Where I get to answer for their sins, but cannot tell them how to do, cos hey, they know better.

Everything, absolutly every apparently inconsequential instruction, needs to be issued in WRITING, OR "IT DID NOT HAPPEN"

Seriously.

No human being can run a multi-tasking do-it-all squad on such a basis.

For instance, very recently, I instructed an employee to leave 2 heavy petrol engined pressure washers back, p'washers on wheels with handle-bars.

said p washers were already on the back of a 3500kg beavertail.

The hire depot was about 10 miles away.

I issued the instruction at about 08:10.

At 09:20 I observed a dropside pick-up leaving the depot with the 2 pressure washers on the back, along with a whole clatter o hoses and lances.

The beavertail then sat parked up all day, being otherwise uneeded.

This dropside pick up is used for pitch maint, the pitch they were going to first lay very near the hire depot.

Why did a senior 20 year experienced man cross load these stores, with some difficulty as I was wrly and reliably informed.

Yet "bad back" claims still abound, but/and ALL our staff have had had multiple approved Manual Handling training.

Stupid CANNOT be fixed.

m

 

Diff, any luck with that 'flammable hand cream COSHH assessment'? My Mythbuster offer is still open

 

Anyway, are you sure its the 'Health and Safety industry' that is your problem (you clearly find it upsetting) or is it 'Local government'.

 

I really think it's the latter.

 

Where did your organisation find their H+S professionals.

 

Were they promoted from the stationary department?

 

You say no one is allowed to think in the modern working world.

 

I cannot think of a single regulation, ACOP, or section of IBP that advocates this.

 

Infact I would say it is entirely the opposite.

[kevinjohnsonmbe]

I get what you mean Marcus and agree with a lot of it - particularly the empire building elements which are often neither helpful nor well received by those affected.

 

I hope and I'm sure my comment wasn't taken in anything other than the slightly tongue in cheek manner it was meant?

 

I too despair of humanity at times, how some people have survived the evolutionary process is beyond me and maybe poorly adopted H&S policies are in part to blame for that.

 

It's just that I don't think said H&S regs / legislation were ever intended to excuse the individual of their personal responsibility - quite the opposite in fact.

[Mat]

Psst

Un-common sense

Apparently.

Would any of "youse" let a groundy climb a tree with a chain-saw.

Why do some remain "groundies"?

LA are convinced that any sows ear can, with appropriate training and supervision, of course, be made into a wonderous silk purse.

Cos to do owt else ud infringe on their 'uman rights.

 

Again, LA thinking not 'H+S industry' thinking.

 

A thread that runs through most regulations is that staff must be competent for the task they are expected to complete.

 

Competent, not trained. Totally different things.

[gmeneaud]

i used to work in a slate quarry(several in fact)in the late 1960's/early 1970's.one of the best and most enjoyable jobs i ever had.

mind you it was only a ten hour day,five and a half days a week.

[difflock]

I am aware of all of the above btw,

but

Govt H & S Officers tend to be obsessive about paperwork, crossing "i's" n dotting "t's", not "achieving output", and have NO pity for the poor trees felled to make ALL the necessary paper.

I attempted to process paperwork on a guy who carried a newly filled with petrol 20litre Jerry can, across the yard, literally, and I MEAN literally with petrol splashing about his feet.

He apparently had not noticed.

And attempted to make several excuses.

The lid was not "latched", nor was there a rubber seal in place, despite me having brought 10 or 20 back from the War and Peace show.

I was ignored.

I was "picking" on the poor man.

Edited January 29, 2015 by difflock

[difflock]

Again, LA thinking not 'H+S industry' thinking.

 

A thread that runs through most regulations is that staff must be competent for the task they are expected to complete.

 

Competent, not trained. Totally different things.

 

I could not agree more.:blushing::blushing:

 

OUR particular LA cannot, nor will-not accept there IS a difference, easily observable to those of us with the nous.

[Mat]

Years ago we left school and spent 4 years being trained by a team of mature experienced men. This gave you knowledge and the ability to plan and avoid risk as you worked.

 

I cant help feeling this sudden urge to write a manual for every operation is due to companies employing low grade untrained minimum wage staff.

 

Do companies have an option though?

 

No one wants to employ an apprentice for 4 years any more.

 

No one wants to be an apprentice for 4 years anymore either.

 

Employers expect staff to magically appear from university with exactly the skills they need.

 

Youngsters want to drift in and out of jobs as the mood takes them (as long as it doesn't affect their social life)

 

Organisations want to hire contractors on short term contracts and then tell them to sling off.

 

Its not 'Health and Safety' that's at fault here - its how more a case of how modern business chooses to work

Edited January 29, 2015 by Mat

[Mat]

Health and safety "professionals" along with the modern "legal profession" are two of the most parasitic scourges of modern society.

 

Most of the people people in the 'safety industry' are parasites that feed off the labour of people doing real work and real jobs.

 

 

Steady on though...

 

Pot / Kettle or Greenhouse / Stone spring to mind.

 

Forestry / firewood / carving may create wealth.

 

Arb work is almost entirely a service industry though. Where is the wealth creation in doing a bit of a crown thin on a sycamore tree?

[slack ma girdle]

First question: How much ?

Second question: What will i get in return; will it be nationally recognised, and will anyone in west Wales have heard of it ?