Mat

Sounds like a quality offer.. I think (not sure if I’m being flamed or groomed ) Not much new in the way of Health and Safety craziness has emerged in the last few days – shame. I mentioned ‘health and safety Norm’ the other day – Probably no use in the stationary department, and then sideways promoted (for some unspeakable reason) to do health and safety. In my experience he is responsible for all the health and safety gone mad rubbish you read in the press. I would gamble we have seen a few examples of his hapless and totally counterproductive measures: Mr Magwick gave us one: Agi-Smash probably landed us another But I think Arthur gave us the ‘money shot’: I would love to see this taken further! Only by getting the H+S jobsworths of this world publicly knocked down a peg or two will they ever learn. But who could perform this fine public service??? Well who better than the HSE themselves!!! HSE totally HATES farcical rubbish done in the name of Health and Safety, and where they find it, they publically shame it. The HSE have a panel that check out witless health and safety rules, headed up by the Chairman of the HSE herself, Judith Hackitt. Check out here>>> Myth Busters Challenge Panel For cases they have ‘outed’ his year alone. The press don’t get off lightly either, Check out here>>> Putting the record straight - Media centre - HSE Arthur, you really should stick a report on the council – hot – tea – desk – ban on here >>> Contact the Myth Busting Challenge Panel You should look on it as ‘your civic duty’ You owe it to the right thinking people of this nation. (If you are not comfy reporting stuff to the dark side, PM the details to me, and I will do it for you – no charge)

Most excellent fella! I have to admit that organising public events isn't my 'field' but that doesn't seem too bad at all. Really glad to see you just got off your arse and made it happen

Fair play on organising your own event. I thought the idea was to run 5k not pay 3k - madness! I am a great fan of parkrun, and I have to say (in their defence) I never noticed any heath and safety b.s. whatsoever (and believe me, I love exposing h+s b.s. wherever I find it) As an organiser of you own event though, aren't you more exposed to h+s obligations?

I would gladly have that at the bottom of my garden in a heartbeat (- the presenter). May well tell the kids to plant their hands deep in their pockets though, not the place for fiddling little fingers. No health and safety? you do them a disservice . Despite the well chosen camera angles, an LEV system snuck in at 2.27 I can't say I really blame them - I can think of better ways to send a day then breathing in fine wood dust!

Back-at-me-baby! As my mum used to say "Speak to as you wish to be spoken "

How very rude

This is interesting, because, if it is as described, it is in direct conflict with the guidance issued by the HSE themselves. Here is the guidance: http://www.hse.gov.uk/pubns/indg455.pdf Here is a screen shot from page 5: It clearly recommends the tying off of ladders, with no mention of the requirements for "fixed structures". The Work at height Regs (2005) do require a hierarchy of control to be followed. Maybe there was some confusion? If the corn bin is only accessed occasionally, the ladder is probably fine. If there is regular access, what is the access for? Could life not be made easier (and more efficient) by not going up there at all. If it's is visual, would not CCTC or level indicators be better? If it is to operate equipment, could it not be operated from the ground. If you have to go up there on a regular basis, why not do what industry does and use loop ladders. If you Google images of loop ladders, you will notice that they generally don't have hand rails.. Now, isn't that strange...

If this was recent, and is as you have stated, I am surprised that the HSE man made such a "day 1, week 1 error". Exactly this state of affairs ( a machine being made pointless due to excessive guarding) was thrashed out in 1955. Even the most greenhorn hse officer should be aware of: John Summers & sons ltd v Frost (1955) as this is where (ironically) the term "as far as reasonably practicable" heralded. The background is some chap called frost was using an abrasive wheel (bench grinder) and messed up his hand. He sued (civil claim) his employer (John Summers and son) as he claimed they had not fulfilled their duty under the Factories Act (predecessor to the Health and Safety at work act) which said adequate guarding shall (absolute duty) be used. If he had damaged himself, the the guarding could not have been suitable, he (successfully) argued. This basically made all Bench Grinders illegal. The response to this was the writing of the (Abrasive wheels regulations 1970, which allowed a lower tier of duty (as far as reasonably practicable). I feel it is highly unlikely exactly the same mistake has been made with regard to all granular fertiliser spreaders. Was an improvement notice served? PM the details to me and I will look it up There may well have been a guarding issue related to the machine in question (belts, shafts etc), but there is no way a "fixed guard" was required as described.

I don't think either is "the last sentence of the of the first paragraph". The Heath and Safety at work etc act has three levels of duty. "Shall", which basically means must - it's an absolute duty. "As far as reasonably practicable" which basically means a balance must be stuck between the how much the level of risk is reduced as opposed to the amount of expense made (Time / Money / effort) in order to reduce the risk. "So far as is Practicable" which basically means that if it is possible (in the light of current technology, knowledge or invention), then it must be done (cost is irreverent). All three appear in the act in different areas.

Now then......let's keep it friendly! When you say HSE Officer, do you mean an actual enforcement officer from the 'Health and Safety executive, Or do you mean some jumped up prig called 'Norm' who used to work in the stationery department of a small business, but then somehow got the role of their health and safety man, and enjoys making other people's lives difficult?

What is more, the residents walk on the road rather than the pavements, just like me Good to see that the dog has some sense

Well it was all clearly assumptions - why else why I have brought the subject of assumptions up! Obviously I don't know any of the history of the woodworking shop you mentioned do I? Maybe the owner had ploughed every penny back into his business and was just ready to retire. Maybe he was not a well man. Making staff redundant was his choice - this is part of the responsibility that comes with employing people (another thing I have done in the past , before you assume that 'I don't know what it is like to run a business')

I thought it was the daftest thing I has seen in ages. It is still a great picture (if you have ever seen owned or used a post knocker - and I have done all three. I have post knocked fencing stakes into the bed of a lake from the back of a rowing boat, so I know a little about extreme post knocker usage). When it comes to assumptions, how about you? I assume you agree with the last paragraph in Spruce Pirates quote?

But it was the owner who chose to make the workers redundant. Rather than being gleeful, I should think that the HSE bloke just thought the owner was a bit of a tit. Mabe the HSE bloke also thought that it was a shame the owner didn't choose to invest some of his profits over the last 40 years on equipment and his workforce other than just cheerfully creaming off the profits for himself. You say that for 30 years the workforce survived intact, but maybe you are simply focusing on the fact that no one got wrapped around a shaft, or had great lumps chopped out of them. How was their hearing? How was their lung function? Did anyone suffer from hand / arm vibration? How was their eyesight? Almost certainly the changes being proposed covered stuff like this, but so often bosses think they can get away with not making changes, because the staff are conditioned to think that medical conditions are 'just to be expected doing this type of work'.

Thanks for the reply though!

Awwww, shucks! 35 years ago doesn't count. We barely had the health and safety at work act back then In fact, it was exactly this type of slapdash behaviour that led to the formation of the HSE This thread is supposed to be knocking health and safety madness now

Sorry, but in the style of Buford 'mad dog' Tannen, I am calling you out on this one I feel this story is either: > a total 'urban myth' > has a truck load of facts missed out > is highly embellished. It is a great tale, but it does not 'add up' in so many ways. Pleeeease let me know if it is true, you must have a web link to a press article or something. cheers

Yo Kevin, I think the point I was making was that the unnamed factory had done what every town does, and that is they have taken steps to separate traffic from pedestrians. This is not always a very expensive step, It does require good planning for it to be effective. I think the fact that the factory had instilled such a good safety culture in their business that the staff used the walkways provided should be applauded, but in the arb world - we mock it and call the workers zombies. (And we wonder why the arb world in not taken seriously). The UK is apparently at the tail end of a double dip recession - and yet this factory is able to effectively instill safe working practices to its staff, and still function. Maybe the factory is a well run tight ship. Maybe, just maybe, the people who run it, and the workers who staff it have their fingers on the pulse, so that they can make good financial decisions, good health and safety decisions, good human resource decisions and good planning decisions Do you think there was a "DANGER OF SUFFOCATION - KEEP AWAY FROM CHILDREN" on the cling wrap.....

Gotta say though, the post driver is a great pic!

I know what you mean Graham. I was walking in a town the other day, and all the people were walking on the pavements AND crossing the road on the Zebra crossings. IDIOTS! I walked down the middle of the road just to demonstrate how smart I was - i bet all those townies were impressed

How'd the mewp fail?

sorry, Stihnk? - Meant Stihl - stupid keyboard!

My two questions would be "Can you move the chain along the bar by hand with the chainbrake off?" and "If you remove the starter housing, are you able to pull the string out". I assume that Mcculloch do not have an over-the-sales-counter policy similar to Stihnk,

I have done 'what he said' BUT I have found that the angle iron + staple anchor is only really effective when the pull is in line with it (such as with winching stuck trucks or speed lining). If you were lowering, the pull is at right angles to the ground which would soon risk 'peeling' it upwards.

There is no reason why a training center is not "allowed" to provide you with equipment. If a training providers insurance does not cover them for kit hire, maybe they are trying to keep their premiums down (I would worry though that they may be making 'savings' in other areas as well) I know that both Lynher Training in Cornwall, and Kingswood training have provided all required kit. The kit is generally built to 'sturdy' specifications, so may not be the most fashionable!