Posted By Pete48
Oh John, how wonderfully restrained of you! I hope this is just a temporary lull and your usual direct self will return soon.

What a load of bovine slurry, that they should think that paperwork is all the HSE are looking for-unless you know differently of course?

Posted By holmezy
John,

didn't see it myself, however did get to hear about it in the pub last night. It did cause quite a lot of discussion between the sceptics, who usually are quick to jump on any bandwagan that derides H+S, however, on this occasion, they all thought it was a daft statement and request.
Then some bright spark asked why inspections should be any different from any other possible prosecution, for example, the Police inform you when and where they are going to do roadside speed checks etc, signs tell you about fixed speed cameras, they should warn you if they are going to shoot you ( topical at the moment with Menezes),,,,

I would like to think that if inspectors had to make an appointment, then the number of notices, prosecutions etc would go down (for the wrong reasons) but maybe the people that run these firms dont understand that its not the bits of paper that are important, its how , and if, you apply the processes and proceedures and ensure safety.

Probably the same people who dont understand what the "speed camers" sign is there for, then moan when they get a ticket?

Overall, the general consensus of the "man in the pub" was to carry on with spot checks.....so maybe this story converted some normally anti H+S folks to supporters....but perhaps only until the next "conkers bonkers" story!!

Small steps guys, small steps....

Keep on with the therapy John,,,,

Holmezy

Posted By Graham Watson
I like Tabs' idea, gets something done, with little cost to the cash strapped HSE.

Well, until everyone gets to know the ploy of course, but then they can still turn up occasionally.

Graham

Posted By db
Here's something radical.

Instead of sending out letters pretending they might do inspections HSE could stop doing all these pathetic campaigns, Safety awareness days (preaching to the converted) and head office visits (hoping the information will pass down the supply chain) and actually do more inspections.

Even announced ones would be better than the piffling amount of inspections done now.

Posted By Ian_P
Ha! At least you got a smoke machine to use for your own private discos's.....or is that just me?

But seriously, I thought the same about these 'awareness days' until I went to the MVR day about isocyanates. From our point of view we found this 'training' extremely helpful.

We took a couple of depot managers to the MVR day so it wasn't just 'preaching to the converted'. This really opened their eyes to the dangers in their business and what they should be doing about it.

It made a nice change from the safety dept. ranting on and on about health and safety and I can honestly say that standards have improved since.

These awareness days can really motivate and open peoples eyes as oppposed to alienating them - as is often the case when they are visited by an old school HSE inspector giving unrealistic and impractical advice about an industry they know nothing about..(rant aborted)

I think it's called self-regulation......isn't that what we're supposed to have been doing since 1974!!!

Posted By ddraigice
For one event at least at the SHAD it's the same "old school HSE inspector giving unrealistic and impractical advice about an industry they know nothing about" giving talks in the SHAD's!

Posted By ddraigice
Wouldnt work, Gary.

"Your method statement says that you will be using a cherry picker/scaffold and it will be to standard with no gaps in the edge protection. Is that how you did it?"

"Oh, yes. Cross my heart and hope to die".

In practice, things don't go to plan and sometimes the method statement is worth nada.

HSE do carry out announced inspections though - but the point here is that all inspections are falling.

Posted By Tarquin Farquor
Personally I feel that a programme of planned and un-announced visits would be appropriate.

Both have thier advantages and tend to focus on different aspects ie the paperwork for planned and the what actually goes on for un-announced.

Regards,

TF

Posted By jayjay
Tut Tut ! Whatever next ? They'll be asking the police to warn them before they go round and carry out raids !! Like the other 'threadees' have said though i'd like to see them sort it it out in 2 days.

Regards JJ

Posted By garyh
See my post above; it's perhaps not 2 days to locate the docs, but the need to divert precious management time to such visits. Try asking a senior manager or manager of a small business to give you 2-3 houirs of their time at no notice!

Posted By John Murgatroyd
Precious management time !
My management is spending its precious time trying to think of a way around having to have the [soon to be installed] new gas heaters supplied with fresh air from outside the factory. The old ones were condemned as unsuitable for use, worn-out after 5 years blowing dust through the heat exchangers !
As for risk assessments or the coshh equivalents....ask for them and you get stared at....and my place is like L O A D S of smes'.
Methinks they need the notice not so much to get the paperwork sorted, but to get the H&S sorted....just for the visit !