Lombardy Fell Incident

[David Humphries]

16 minutes ago, Gary Prentice said:

 

 In a year or two you'll be able to stick a piece of chewing gum on an oak tree, tell the planning officer that it's kretz and the tree is going to fall over tomorrow

Happens all the time, that one catches me out constantly 

[Gary Prentice]

If you were my TO David, I'd say it was Fistulina......

[David Humphries]

1 minute ago, Gary Prentice said:

If you were my TO David, I'd say it was Fistulina......

Anamorph or teleomorph ? 

[Gray git]

They're disappearing all over the country as it is...
 In a year or two you'll be able to stick a piece of chewing gum on an oak tree, tell the planning officer that it's kretz and the tree is going to fall over tomorrow

Problem I'm finding with that 1 is " I haven't a clue what your on about but it looks fine to me" syndrome sneaking in which is a difficult 1 to overcome if they aren't willing to listen and learn.

[Khriss]

Gary - what do you mean ' in a year or two ' ? I built my career on that ( probably shouldnt have chewed the gum again after tho' ..... ) K

[beechwood]

24k Fine was a bit harsh
 
https://videos.metro.co.uk/video/met/2016/08/03/3895101489547228456/640x360_3895101489547228456.mp4

In my personal opinion I don’t think £24k plus costs is harsh.

I think they got off lightly, bearing in mind the list of failings and the financial size of a company like Bartlett’s.

I’m glad nobody was hurt but it could have so easily seriously injured or killed a bystander/member of the Barlett’s team.

Good on the HSE for going to town on them.
I hope this will be a positive thing for our industry, the threat of a large fine is a big incentive to all of us not to cut corners.

Would be very interesting to read the whole judgement but don’t know if that’s available.

Await to see what the AA does, not holding my breath.

Regards Neil

[aspenarb]

57 minutes ago, beechwood said:

 

In my personal opinion I don’t think £24k plus costs is harsh.

I think they got off lightly, bearing in mind the list of failings and the financial size of a company like Bartlett’s.

I’m glad nobody was hurt but it could have so easily seriously injured or killed a bystander/member of the Barlett’s team.

Good on the HSE for going to town on them.
I hope this will be a positive thing for our industry, the threat of a large fine is a big incentive to all of us not to cut corners.

Would be very interesting to read the whole judgement but don’t know if that’s available.

Await to see what the AA does, not holding my breath.

Regards Neil

 

 

Neil I would have less of a problem with fines like that if the guys were sent out to execute the works in that particular way. In the companies defense I cannot believe for one moment that Bartlett`s sent those guys out there in an open public space next to a busy junction to pull that tree over with a rope tied to the back of a truck . Even if they were sent out to do it  the  onus of responsibility should fall on the operatives because they could of quite easily refused to do it . This one has gone wrong and even if the guys did get the sack for this they will probably find employment within the hour leaving the whole shitfest for the company to deal with, from where I am sat this was probably meant to be a dismantle that the  guys took upon themselves to fell.

 

Bob

[AHPP]

 

In my personal opinion I don’t think £24k plus costs is harsh.

 

I think they got off lightly, bearing in mind the list of failings and the financial size of a company like Bartlett’s.

 

I’m glad nobody was hurt but it could have so easily seriously injured or killed a bystander/member of the Barlett’s team.

 

Good on the HSE for going to town on them.

I hope this will be a positive thing for our industry, the threat of a large fine is a big incentive to all of us not to cut corners.

 

Would be very interesting to read the whole judgement but don’t know if that’s available.

 

Await to see what the AA does, not holding my breath.

 

Regards Neil

 

In my personal opinion, it’s £24k too much. It’s £24k that will go to the government. Some of it, the HSE will waste on printing glossy leaflets telling builders to wear a warm coat (or similar bollocks). The remainder will go to making laws like those which make employers liable for employees’ mistakes, letting idiots with saws drop their boss in the shit or limited liability corporation protection that lets bosses hire idiots safe in the knowledge they keep their house if an idiot harms someone/something. The common law rights wrongs where they occur, costs little and doesn’t have all the bad side effects of government. Don’t reach for the government to solve every problem. They’re shit at it (and in this case have actually done the opposite). Hundreds of years of legislation didn’t stop a tree going sideways. Fear of getting sued keeps people sensible, unless vicarious liability and/or limited liability are in place of course, in which case, yeah, fuck it, just cut it at the bottom.

[TIMON]

Did pics of the hinge ever emerge?

I had a 60 ft Connie fell go astray by about 50 degrees due to a strong gust of side wind, (thankfully except for a fence panel no damage or injury)
Looking at the gob and hinge you would never have known.
Lesson learned.

[Stephen Blair]

Steve I don’t think there was a hinge mate!