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Lesley Riddoch - Health and safety the twin gods that put nonsense before care



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Published Date: 15 September 2008
I WAS waiting in the accident and emergency department of Ninewells Hospital in Dundee last week, staring idly at the feet crossing and re-crossing the room.
Suddenly, I realised all the A&E staff – men and women, young and old, local and foreign – were wearing Crocs, the foam, clog-like sandals that supposedly mould to your feet. I'd been "converted" on holiday and was still wearing the pink flowery item...



The full article contains 987 words and appears in The Scotsman newspaper.
Page 1 of 1

  • Last Updated: 14 September 2008 9:38 PM
  • Source: The Scotsman
  • Location: Edinburgh
  • Related Topics: Lesley Riddoch
 
1

truthsleuth,

15/09/2008 00:30:25
Not so many years ago I was waiting for a train at a local station.
A man carrying a large bag and a mop a brush a bucket walked past me as I sat on a bench.
This man took a high visibility warning jacket out of his bag and put it on and walked into the toilets to clean them out.
On completing his job I asked him why he had put on his High viz jacket. His reply
We are required to do so by the Health and Safety.

2

joppa jock,

Huntingdon 15/09/2008 13:28:22
The world of health and safety is madness on the loose. My son attends a day care centre in England and recently dropped his wheelchair belt on the floor. A member of staff refused to pick it up for him because 'she wasn't trained to handle it'. The question of direct payments has a lot more to do with councils getting rid of their responsibilities and giving them opportunities to run down day centres than helping disabled people. Those with learning disabilities find it impossible to be employers and will never be able to manage their finances for themselves, so the onus falls directly onto their parents or carers. Too much of any public body's budget is now dedicated to paying their own staff, many of whom are now in the six figure bracket with matching pensions.
Caring for their community is now a long way down their list of priorities. The banning of crocs is typical of the high-handed attitude of those who find themselves with a bit of power and who will use it to the maximum. There was a suggestion by a Tory think tank that public officials should be under the scrutiny of the public and voted out of office if they were found lacking. That could make a lot of pompous prats sit up and take notice before issuing stupid decrees.
3

AM scot,

Sctoland 21/10/2008 08:08:20
This isnt H&S gone mad. Its people gone stupid. I work in H&S and far too many managers complain to me about me telling their staff not to do things. I explain that Ive never told them any such thing. I ask them to get the staff to put it in writing that I told them this or what legislation they read it in and thats the last i see of them. This is a case of people being far too lazy and using H&S as an excuse. H&S llaw has had to draw lines, just like speed limits in the highway code, and unfortunately some people abuse this rather than apply logic.

 

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