Health and safety nation

By Mike Ashworth | January 11, 2010

With the recent snow that has covered much of the UK i’ve heard the word crisis used, and I cant help thinking that it is anything but that.

In a crisis traditional ways of doing things are replaced by common sense and necessity.

Imagine if you will the terrible event that was 9/11.

Can you envisage some bureaucrat saying that it will be impossible to do something as someone may get injured venturing into the ground zero area. Mayor Rudy Giuliani would have fired them on the spot.

Yet, we’ve had an extraordinary event in the UK and we still stick to our red tape and maddening bureaucracy.

A few examples.

In Brighton, the Council launched an appeal for people with 4×4 vehicles to make them available so that essential food and medicine could be delivered to the vulnerable.

When I enquired about this I was told that unless the person had a CRB check from their current employer, it would be of no use.

The reason being that entry to the property would be required and of course this now involved risk, assessing risk and CRB checks etc.

If this were a true crisis things like this need to be suspended and common sense prevail.

Imagine a vulnerable person being told that it was impossible to deliver the food or medicine as the person didnt have a current CRB check. I wonder what they might say?

A School being told that they must consider the size of the shovel being used to clear snow as it may place strain upon the back of the person using it.

The Isle of Wight told its staff that precisely “6mm of rock salt and grit sand mix” must be used on surfaces that are prone to get icy. Not 5mm or 7mm but 6mm!

Walsall Council told its staff: “ The safety of pupils once they reach home will also need to be considered.” eh?

Also, in Brighton, the Council had to issue advice after a number of enquiries from people who were loath to clear ice from path outside their home as they didnt want to be liable if someone slipped on that piece of pavement!

Heaven help this country when (not if) if we have a true catastrophe. Perhaps something like the Thames barrier being breached or some other disaster.

What on earth has happened to our country.

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