'Elf and Safety.

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Peter T

Active Member
Joined
Sep 30, 2011
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315
Location
Warwickshire
Car
SL 350, BMW540i, Toyota Hilux, Fiesta XR2
Went to my local branch of Travis Perkins yesterday of a couple of lengths of achitrave. I took the Hilux pickup as I needed 3.6 metre lengths.

Anyway, after paying for the wood, I was standing in the pickup bed strapping everything in when I was, politely, asked to get down as their new H & S policy did not allow customers to climb on their vehicles in case they fell and were injured.

When I, politely, enquired how I could strap my wood in, the guy offered to lend me a step ladder!

Apparently it's safer to perch on a step ladder than stand in the flat, level pickup bed!!
 
Its not a new thing, and comes under prevention of falls and the HSE take a dim view.
Most deliveries from Travis seem to be shrink wrapped nowadays to prevent the driver from having to mount the vehicle and just use his lorry crane. Bit over the top I agree but where do you draw the line. You shouldn't perch on a step ladder either but be at least 2 treads from the top, and have a method statement for its safe use.
Glad Im retiring from the construction industry soon.
 
Idiotic. Reminds me of a video and subsequently a DM article of a bloke with his ladder locked into the roof ladder of his massive transit van. Everyone screamed H&S, but what's more firm a footing? A 3 ton van with roof ladder acting as a grid for his ladder to lock into, or putting it directly on the non-gridlocked pavement where any idiot can bump into it.

That guy was fined a few grand apparently.

Personally, if I was told I couldn't stand in the back of my own pickup, I'd be telling them to go be jobsworths elsewhere.
 
H&S is very often well intentioned but its day-to-day implementation is left to folk with very little training and comprehension of hazard vs risk.
 
Be warned that the new CDM ( Construction, Design and Management ) Regulations will include domestic works to meet EU requirements. Will certainly be interesting watching the debate about the responsibilities of the Householder / Client / Designer when the first prosecution is made. Happy to be out if it as well.
 
Idiotic. Reminds me of a video and subsequently a DM article of a bloke with his ladder locked into the roof ladder of his massive transit van. Everyone screamed H&S, but what's more firm a footing? A 3 ton van with roof ladder acting as a grid for his ladder to lock into, or putting it directly on the non-gridlocked pavement where any idiot can bump into it.

That guy was fined a few grand apparently.

Personally, if I was told I couldn't stand in the back of my own pickup, I'd be telling them to go be jobsworths elsewhere.

Perhaps its best to be a bit apologetic and try and avoid a big fine.
 
H&S is very often well intentioned but its day-to-day implementation is left to folk with very little training and comprehension of hazard vs risk.[/QUOTE


People will always take risks of course, but the level of training in the construction industry has risen steeply over the past few years. Cant comment on small builders but any subcontractor working for a medium sized contractor will need evidence of training.
 
Perhaps its best to be a bit apologetic and try and avoid a big fine.

No, different situation.

If I'm like the OP, just a customer at a supply store, how is a fine imminent? I can happily tell the staff to get lost and there's no possible comeback.

Are you saying if you were at B&Q, loading some wood onto your roof and some staff member came to tell you off, you'd apologise?
 
No, different situation.

If I'm like the OP, just a customer at a supply store, how is a fine imminent? I can happily tell the staff to get lost and there's no possible comeback.

Unfortunately, the comeback would be if you fell off your vehicle, injuring yourself, and then claimed that the company was at fault for allowing you to put yourself at risk on their premises, but I get your point. Blame the ambulance chasers!
 
Why on earth, if I fell off of my vehicle, would I claim anything? Certainly not that it was their fault... Even discussing this is ridiculous. If I'm strapping wood to my roof and fall off, I get up, look around to see who saw and look sheepish before carry on with what was doing...

If that was the comeback, that if I fell, then, etc, I'd happily humour them with "ok, disclaimer successfully received..."
 
No, different situation.

If I'm like the OP, just a customer at a supply store, how is a fine imminent? I can happily tell the staff to get lost and there's no possible comeback.

Are you saying if you were at B&Q, loading some wood onto your roof and some staff member came to tell you off, you'd apologise?

Apologies. A misunderstanding, as your first paragraph referred to a individual working on a pavement I though your third also referred to it.
 
Why on earth, if I fell off of my vehicle, would I claim anything? Certainly not that it was their fault... Even discussing this is ridiculous. If I'm strapping wood to my roof and fall off, I get up, look around to see who saw and look sheepish before carry on with what was doing...

If that was the comeback, that if I fell, then, etc, I'd happily humour them with "ok, disclaimer successfully received..."

Unfortunately a few people would try and claim and a no win no fee legal firm would no doubt assist.
I'm not sure on the law and legalities but if you are 'invited' to enter a builders merchant say they may be responsible for your health and safety.
Its becoming a crazy world maybe!!!
 
But what if the only reason I fell was because I was distracted by a staff member poking his nose in?
 
But what if the only reason I fell was because I was distracted by a staff member poking his nose in?

…slipping on the tears of shames resulting from having been told off by a grown-up.;)
 
Idiotic.

Personally, if I was told I couldn't stand in the back of my own pickup, I'd be telling them to go be jobsworths elsewhere.

I thought about that, but it was the same guy who served me and he was very helpful, well spoken and polite.

It seemed a bit ungracious to be rude to him. After all, he was only following orders!
 
Anyway, after paying for the wood, I was standing in the pickup bed strapping everything in when I was, politely, asked to get down as their new H & S policy did not allow customers to climb on their vehicles in case they fell and were injured.

When I, politely, enquired how I could strap my wood in, the guy offered to lend me a step ladder!

Apparently it's safer to perch on a step ladder than stand in the flat, level pickup bed!!

Assuming, of course, that someone has interpreted the new H & S policy correctly, have they displayed a notice to this effect, out of interest?

Accommodating the general public on business premises is a minefield, and what may be laughable or common sense to some people can be a nightmare if someone else decides there's a chance of compensation in the event of their own negligence or stupidity.
 
If you break any site rules in my quarry your account would be tagged and future dealings would not be allowed.
The op falling from his vehicle would still be a reportable incident and it's just not worth it for the company to have HSE crawling all over the place for the cost of some timber!

Tony.
 
… The op falling from his vehicle would still be a reportable incident and it's just not worth it for the company to have HSE crawling all over the place for the cost of some timber!

But surely the OP falling from the offered stepladder would be equally reportable?
 

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