• Andrew
    404
    2 recent news items should cause us to pause and question our selves. Are we really and truly helping our business to succeed?

    Item One. In the aftermath of the assassination attempt on President Trump it has been revealed that a roof with a 1:12 slope did not have a protection detail on it because"That building in particular has a sloped roof, at its highest point. And so, there's a safety factor that would be considered there that we wouldn't want to put somebody up on a sloped roof. And so, the decision was made to secure the building, from inside,"

    Now I've fact checked this. Because it seems so utterly insane it has to be fake news. But no. The U.S. Secret Service Director Kimberly Cheatle did in fact say this. Seriously. She, and her health and safety advisors have to be brain dead. But to her credit, somehow there are enough functioning braincells that she realises that a roof at its highest point has a slope. Beyond that, there really is no one home.

    And then there is this, closer to home. Https://www.stuff.co.nz/nz-news/350344324/small-pool-beside-sea-private-island-must-be-fenced-against-owners-wishes.. Here we have a seaside swimming pool literally 3 meters from the sea and some shiny pant clip board carrying health and safety numpty is insisting the pool be fenced. On another thread I mentioned safety "look busy" work - well here you won't find a finer example.

    Sadly this is the type of thing I am seeing every day in the world of "health and safety". People operating at levels where they are not actually engaging their brain. And rather than serve their business they dream up tasks and rules and functions and processes that guarantee their wage next week. And other than that add absolutely zero value to anything.

    Hopefully these 2 examples cause us to stop and think about what it is we are actually doing.
  • Andrew
    404
    Bloke suffers a workplace accident and loses a bit of his ear. No lost time and looks like just a visit to the doctors.

    Gee, what I would give to be part of that accident investigation! We'd certainly see the old "swiss cheese" coming into play. And it would really test our "no blame" concepts to an investigation.
  • Tamsin Sutherland
    5
    Having been a council enforcement officer for Pool Fencing in a past life, there is zero provision for exemption from the Act. So maybe the issue is not the person with the clipboard but legislation that takes no account of the context of risk.
  • R Ellis
    2
    Hi - I hold a different view on the matter of swimming pool isolation. I believe it is a necessary measure.

    Applying risk assessment principles and control hierarchies to domestic life, as mandated in workplaces, can significantly extend and safeguard our lives, while also reducing the societal burden on ACC.

    In a residence and its surroundings, there is a general expectation of safety from harm, mostly due to the Building Code (which can't be applied retrospectively, so has to be complied with up-front). This expectation should extend to the safety of visitors and guests. Numerous incidents of children drowning in unprotected pools (and unattended bathtubs) have occurred. Each incident is a catastrophe for the affected families and also particularly distressing for homeowners when a guest's child is involved.

    Leaving a pool unfenced is a known and preventable hazard. Children and their parents often learn early on that the sea is dangerous, while swimming pools are perceived as safe, influencing their behavior around each. Not all kids have a pool at home, so many have limited understanding of how to swim, or otherwise safely negotiate a home pool environment.

    As a parent engaged in tasks, such as organizing a six-year-old's birthday party, while also supervising children as they explore the home, it becomes impossible to ensure safety without a secure environment. The sea, in this instance being external to the home, distracts from the lower perception of risk and vigilance associated with home safety, and is a classic 'strawman' argument.

    The resistance to "isolating the danger of a swimming pool" may likely stem more from concerns over aesthetics, such as disrupting an "infinity" view. However, this should have been addressed through safety-oriented design (and in the building consent process well before it was built). It can still be easily resolved with minor aesthetic disruption by including the use of glass partitions, a solution both effective and common in many upscale residences.

    It may well be that the developer/current owners don't foresee children ever frequenting the place - but is that the likely reality? People trying to build things "not to code" have to be considerate of future users.
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If you are interested in workplace health & safety in New Zealand, then this is the discussion forum for you.