Health and safety excuses

EyeSight

In the UK they have a committee who are exposing health and safety myths and trying to shame organisations into not using H&S as an excuse for silly rules:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-19366433

Last April they even shamed a school for banning frilly socks due to "health and safety". Should Ireland take a similar approach? It is the goto excuse for useless rules.
Other examples:

• A boot supplier claimed that it was banned from accepting dirty boots for return
• Cafes and restaurants refusing to heat up baby food
• A golf club told players that golf buggies were not health and safety authorised
• A hospital refused the use of a microwave on a ward
• A gym-goer was told he could not lift weights without wearing trainers
• A woman was banned by her boss from wearing sandals in the office in summer
• A passenger was refused a blanket on a flight but told she could buy one
• A campsite banned sleeping in a camper van
• A primary school's treehouse had to be located away from the premises because of a risk to children
• A council banned a nursery teacher from taking children to an allotment

A few years ago i took my granny for lunch and she couldn't finish half of it. Most places wrap it up and let her take it home for later in the evening. This one place refused due to health and safety :rolleyes: Almost every restaurant give you a doggy bag for left overs right?

Anyone have any other examples of its misuse?

4zn76tysfajdxp

EyeSight wrote: »

A few years ago i took my granny for lunch and she couldn't finish half of it. Most places wrap it up and let her take it home for later in the evening. This one place refused due to health and safety :rolleyes: Almost every restaurant give you a doggy bag for left overs right?

Imagine comparing a granny to a dog like that. Shame on you.

Buona Fortuna

Just on this

A council banned a nursery teacher from taking children to an allotment

There have been a number of cases in the UK where kids have died on school trips. Some years ago but I think there was a canoeing trip, and a map reading type of outward bound trip in Wales.

I think that where these type of incidents have taken place, it sparks a whole industry in councils looking at ways at reducing their liability.

I don't agree with it but I can see why it has happened.

Tin Foil Hat

EyeSight wrote: »

A few years ago i took my granny for lunch and she couldn't finish half of it. Most places wrap it up and let her take it home for later in the evening. This one place refused due to health and safety :rolleyes: Almost every restaurant give you a doggy bag for left overs right?

If a restaurant refuses to give you leftovers to bring away, it means at least some of the food has either come out of a can or already been reheated. Don't go back.

Tin Foil Hat

I've heard that citing insurance for banning running in school playgrounds is a crock.

Paulzx

Buona Fortuna wrote: »

Just on this



There have been a number of cases in the UK where kids have died on school trips. Some years ago but I think there was a canoeing trip, and a map reading type of outward bound trip in Wales.

I think that where these type of incidents have taken place, it sparks a whole industry in councils looking at ways at reducing their liability.

I don't agree with it but I can see why it has happened.

A kid dies on an adventure training trip to a whitewater river.........sounds fun but dangerous.

Digging a few carrots on an allotment isn't really on the same danger level

Paulzx

Tin Foil Hat wrote: »

I've heard that citing insurance for banning running in school playgrounds is a crock.

Running is so dangerous you can get Post Traumatic Stress Disorder from it. It's right up there with being subjected to Artillery Fire.

I can see the reason for banning it

Buona Fortuna

Paulzx wrote: »

A kid dies on an adventure training trip to a whitewater river.........sounds fun but dangerous.

Digging a few carrots on an allotment isn't really on the same danger level

No but imagine all the claims for a bad back

Paulzx

Buona Fortuna wrote: »

No but imagine all the claims for a bad back

You've got a point there.

Ok. Take allotments off the school trip list

Lyaiera

I read the article. I think it's great a body is addressing this. Health and Safety is given such a bad name, it's vital in protecting workers (and sometimes the public.) Too many businesses like to shift the blame for their decisions onto someone else rather than admitting they're fearful of liability, they don't want to do something for free, they don't want their workers doing something not profitable. Proper health and safety is about protecting people, not the business.

Buona Fortuna

Lyaiera wrote: »

I read the article. I think it's great a body is addressing this. Health and Safety is given such a bad name, it's vital in protecting workers (and sometimes the public.) Too many businesses like to shift the blame for their decisions onto someone else rather than admitting they're fearful of liability, they don't want to do something for free, they don't want their workers doing something not profitable. Proper health and safety is about protecting people, not the business.

Yes. I believe it was Hugh Scanlon who used to say: Every Quarter Master Sergeant is waiting for a war, and for the shell to hit his store, so he can say "It was all lost in the war."

H&S gives organisations a convinient box in which to put the too difficult, expensive ....

But H&S is vital particularly in construction and agriculture. We have a picture on the wall of workers (most probably Irish) constructing the Sears Tower. They are up really high sitting on a beam, no safety lines, nothing. One fellah even has a bottle of whiskey.

dxhound2005

EyeSight wrote: »

In the UK they have a committee who are exposing health and safety myths and trying to shame organisations into not using H&S as an excuse for silly rules:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-19366433

Last April they even shamed a school for banning frilly socks due to "health and safety". Should Ireland take a similar approach? It is the goto excuse for useless rules.
Other examples:

• A boot supplier claimed that it was banned from accepting dirty boots for return
• Cafes and restaurants refusing to heat up baby food
• A golf club told players that golf buggies were not health and safety authorised
• A hospital refused the use of a microwave on a ward
• A gym-goer was told he could not lift weights without wearing trainers
• A woman was banned by her boss from wearing sandals in the office in summer
• A passenger was refused a blanket on a flight but told she could buy one
• A campsite banned sleeping in a camper van
• A primary school's treehouse had to be located away from the premises because of a risk to children
• A council banned a nursery teacher from taking children to an allotment

A few years ago i took my granny for lunch and she couldn't finish half of it. Most places wrap it up and let her take it home for later in the evening. This one place refused due to health and safety :rolleyes: Almost every restaurant give you a doggy bag for left overs right?

Anyone have any other examples of its misuse?

That was two years ago. It's all different now.

martinedwards

My mate is second in command of HSENI

he spends half his time telling folks to go have fun, play conkers, make a sledge out of a car bonnet, a swing on a branch with some rope.... all the good fun stuff that gets your knees scraped and your knuckles grazed.

MOST bans on activities are to do with insurance and the claim culture.

EyeSight

dxhound2005 wrote: »

That was two years ago. It's all different now.

wow. sorry about that. But i read this on Sky news app yesterday. Maybe the BBC timestamp is wrong, or this is an ongoing committee?