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#1 Posted : 29 January 2004 14:53:00(UTC)
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Posted By Bill Morrison
So the cold snap suddenly hits us. We carry out a risk assessment for access and egress and highlight the potential risks from staff using and accessing the site from the car park. We duly start gritting and putting salt down from 6am and this continues throughout the morning. At around 7.30am a female member of staff slips in the car park, and is seen straight away by a first aider, told that she should attend hospital which she does.. I don’t know if this is relevant but the lady was wearing high heels at the time she slipped over. We then receive a delegation from staff saying that more could of or should have been done. What do you think
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#2 Posted : 29 January 2004 15:29:00(UTC)
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Posted By Jonathan Breeze
Avoid trying to pass the buck by inferring that people who wear high heels get what they deserve - you sound just like a high court judge!

But seriously Bill perhaps you should ask the complainants what they have in mind as a solution and then include the suggestion in future assessments.

From what you tell us, you appear to have taken all reasonably practicable measures.
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#3 Posted : 29 January 2004 15:37:00(UTC)
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Posted By Allan St.John Holt
Well, maybe you could have sent a short note to staff or stuck it on a flip chart in the entrance hall, to the effect that 'it's going to be cold, don't take unnecessary risks including travel, wear sensible clothes and shoes' - maybe even a dress-down day announcement. Good for morale generally, shows we're thinking about the front line troops.

Allan
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#4 Posted : 29 January 2004 15:45:00(UTC)
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Posted By Shane Johnston


Very well for them to say that more should have been done, why not turn the tables and ask them what they wanted to see. We've done this several times with our TU over various issues, only to find they could not come up with anything at all other than what we had already done, or what they did come up with we were able to demonstrate to them that it was not practicable.

Shane
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#5 Posted : 29 January 2004 16:03:00(UTC)
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Posted By Jonathan Breeze
If it makes you feel any better, a lot of people have been caught out by rain washing away the grit/salt and it suddenly freezing and snowing on top of the freshly formed ice.
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#6 Posted : 29 January 2004 16:05:00(UTC)
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Posted By Jennifer Jones
It sounds to me as if you have done all you could. In the event that the lady does try to bring a claim against the company, surely she would be guilt of contributory negligence for wearing unsuitable shoes. I think this has come up before with people falling down stairs, so surely it would apply in your case, after all, she could easily have changed her shoes once inside the building. Other than that, well done for attempting to alleviate the problem in the first place. Our company didn't do anything!

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