Posted By Graham Bullough
As Andy Brazier has suggested earlier, there will have been countless smoke detectors put in UK dwellings, some by firefighters under the scheme involved in this thread. Many others will have been put up by householders themselves, including readers of this forum and who probably have stepladders at home for carrying out all manner of tasks.
Over this past weekend I tried out my 5 step stepladder to reach the smoke detector I fitted to my hallway ceiling some years ago. The ceiling is 8'6"/259cm high. I guess that most domestic ceiling are les than 10'/305cm high. Without stretching I could reach my detector quite comfortably and with ample stability by standing on the 2nd step (23"/59cm high) and resting my legs and knees at a slight angle against the 3rd and 4th steps. If I were short of stature or needed extra height I could do the same by standing on the 3rd step and using the 4th and 5th steps to brace my legs and knees.
Have the members of the FRS forum/s who are discussing the subject of this thread tried doing the same with a stepladder to get a realistic perspective about using stepladders? If one person using a stepladder in good condition to reach a normal domestic ceiling has reasonable stability, I cannot understand why a second person is needed to help steady the stepladder. However, a second person could make the job quicker, easier and safer for the ladder user by passing up the new detector, etc. and receiving tools after use.
It has transpired that the subject of this thread began because of concern expressed by some firefighters and managers about the suitability of stepladders as the means of access for fitting domestic smoke detectors. Hopefully the relevant FRS forum/s will have or be getting information as to how many firefighters and managers have expressed concern, and for what reasons. Also, have there been any significant accidents involving firefighters while fitting detectors for Humberside FRS and other FRSs? These are the sort of questions which forum readers would probably pose if they, like myself, have never worked for a FRS.
Another thought, and one which is likely to be controversial but needs airing. Looking outside the field of health and safety, is it possible that this topic has arisen because a few firefighters are not keen on fitting smoke detectors in domestic dwellings? If so, might they be using "health and safety" as a means of reducing their involvement with such work or getting it done by others? Think about it. Compared with fighting fires and dealing with other emergencies, fitting detectors is routine and mundane work, even though any measures to get detectors fitted in dwellings is very worthwhile. After all, most fire-related deaths in the UK occur at home, not at workplaces.
Before anyone responds to accuse me of denigrating firefighters, I should stress that this is not my intention. However, in order for readers of this forum to assess the possibility that this thread might have more to do with employee/management relations than safety, please can anyone from a FRS tell us the following: 1) How how long has their FRS had a scheme for firefighters to fit detectors in dwellings? 2) Who initiated such a scheme - i.e. did the idea come from firefighters or from management? 3) Is the scheme obligatory or optional for firefighters? 4) What activities for on-duty firefighters have been reduced or replaced by detector fitting schemes? 5) How much time on a day shift is spent by firefighters fitting detectors if they are not called to attend any emergencies?
As mooted earlier in this response, getting and analysing information about accidents, if any, involving firefighters fitting detectors is vital. Some perspective about stepladders may be gleaned from another common activity, namely the replacing of light bulbs and fluorescent tubes by caretakers in school classrooms. I've dealt with local authority schools for over 20 years and in that time cannot recall receiving reports of accidents involving such work, even though it is a regular and common activity and some of the caretakers involved are not as fit or agile as firefighters. Perhaps my employer and its caretakers have been lucky, or a few accidents resulting in minor injury have not been reported. Even so, the apparent absence of accidents seems to suggest that my employer's schools and their caretakers have long understood and followed simple and basic guidance about the use of stepladders.