Rank: Forum user 
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On last nights Corrie a roofer had a lucky escape when his ladder fell away. He was able to cling on to the guttering at the front of the house and climb in through a window. When asked about his safety precautions he replied with "falls come with the job of being a builder" & "a safety harness just does not feel right". This practice of course goes against many regulations and also shows a very negative attitude to H&S.
Is it not the responsibility of the writers, directors and producers of the show, and the management of ITV to show a more positive attitude to health and saftey? In a medium that attracts millions of viewers this could have been usedas an oppertunity to get serious messages across to the public and in doing so given ITV some respect throughout the industry.
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Personally I didn't take it as seriously as you appear to have done as the moment itself and those that followed were aimed at being comical. I don't think people are going to take H&S tips from a soap opera.
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Keith, what if the story had not been a comical interlude between moments of manchester depression. What if he had fallen, would have taken it seriously then? would that have made people think about their own safety when climbing ladders? Soaps make a habit of tackling subjects that people are concerned about or are in the news at the time, why should this exclude health and safety?
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Rank: New forum user
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I'm sure if you were so inclined you could take offence at almost every form of comedy on the TV. For every subject poked fun at there will be someone who has has a terrible experience, however I think you have to take it for what it is, a bit of fun. I think H&S professionals have a poor reputation for taking things too seriously as it is. And whilst I agree that someone in the workplace falling off a ladder and causing themselve a nasty injury is no laughing matter, this is just something to be laughed at and taken in jest as it was intended.
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Well I watched it along with my husband and son and they both turned around to me and said - "well thats not done much for health and safety now has it" and started laughing!!
so I do think it does show a negative attitude to H&S!
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Nicholas,
"falls come with the job of being a builder"
I know lots of "one man" builders and, worryingly, they all have a similar attitude. To them, time is money, and its usually quicker and easier to use a ladder to work off than to erect the scaffold tower! They also have a "won't happen to me" attitude when I pont out that if they fall, they may not work again!
I don't normally watch Corrie but was forced to by my mum! However, I did notice that Kevin Websters "Health and Safety File" was clearly visible on a shelf in his workshop. Alas, it didn't look "well thumbed" so perhaps it was just there for show!!
Holmezy
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I think aswell we need to remember that whilst people in the H&S profession may look at everything with our H&S eyes, most people will not and the thought of H&S will not have even crossed the vast majority of watchers minds.
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holmezy, I also niticed the H&S file with a few obviouos oily thumb prints placed by the prop department. it got me thinking that were aware of the the ladder incident being frowned on and placed the file there to show a "commitment" to H&S.
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keith1983 wrote:I think aswell we need to remember that whilst people in the H&S profession may look at everything with our H&S eyes, most people will not and the thought of H&S will not have even crossed the vast majority of watchers minds.
I would say you are right there.......I think the only reason my two said that was because I am in the H&S profession.....
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Rank: Super forum user 
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I didn't see this but knowing how soaps work, it may be that this is the first hint of a plot? They could be subtly highlighting his attitude to H&S before writing in a fall from height accident in the subsequent weeks. What then? Surely we would be applauding Corrie's actions in highlighting the effects of poor practices? Even if they don't, it has potentially got people discussing it and you could take the view that all publicity is good publicity.
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Rank: New forum user
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grim72 wrote:it has potentially got people discussing it and you could take the view that all publicity is good publicity.
I think the only people discussing it are those of us already well aware and involved in Health and Safety, I'm pretty sure elsewhere it has passed unnoticed under the radar.
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I'm guessing that the biggest risk to Kevin Websters H+S is his wife and Tyrone finding out about him and Molly! Bet he hasnt got a Safe Working Proceedure for that!
It might be a good thing for the HSE to make an appearance in a soap as a result of an "accident" in Websters garage?
Has the HSE / LA featured in any other series, other than the "fly on the wall" type?
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Rank: New forum user
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Whilst I understand your issues, It would not make for the best TV, you have to remember it is only TV therefore not actually real, and most people watching the programme would not have noticed. H&S professionals have enough bad press to contend with at the best of times and soaps do tackle various things well albeit H&S not one of them. What we need to be doing ourselves is being proactive and innovative, and stop this shade of grey that sourrounds us as H&S Proffesionals.
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Lightfoot, I am fully aware that its TV and not real, however are there not organisations around that belive people copy what they see on TV or films or even games? I'm sorry you disagree with me but we cannot have it both ways.
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Who doesn't like a bad cop on a TV show - but does that mean all cops are bad? Come on. Can we not just take it as it is. A fictional tv program... Although my pharmacist wife does get very annoyed at the pharmacists on Holby City....
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Rank: Forum user
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In answer to the question you posed the answer is no. What next - episodes of Casualty without injured people? Ban the Godfather because it is negative? No, accidents happen. Everyone who is involved in H&S has come across attitudes such as described in your posting and, although apparently humorious in this instance, the writers should be free to portray real life. If anything it serves to highlight how ill thought out actions can cause injury - I applaud that part.
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Lightfoot,
why would the HSE be portrayed as a bad thing in Corrie? Why Kevin Webster be seen doing a risk assessment? TV does influence peoples thoughts!
And as for suggesting Corrie is not real......well!
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Rank: Super forum user 
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I think Granada TV had a bit of "tongue in cheek" there, did nobody notice the Health and Safety Policy in a white ring binder in Kevin's garage? I've never seen that before.
Perhaps I'm the only saddo with a bit of observation power, I did think the ladder incident was essential to the scenes that followed, had he fallen and injured himself he could not have kissed and ran.
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Rank: Super forum user 
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I didn't see it, but I know that my guttering would not support someone whilst they swung through my bedroom window!
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Old hat.
We have had Steve's dad falling/pushed from scaffolding. David Platt loosening guard rails. A welding cylinder (oxy-acet?) exploding in the garage (Brian Tilsley's days?). Several stuck fingers in the sewing lines. Ernest blown away during a wages raid.
Seems like the workplace/working in a soap is every bit as dangerous as asking for a pay rise for appearing in one.
Long may it continue - it's nice to be able to see an "accident" without having to pay even an iota of attention to root causes :-)
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At least they don't live in Midsomer, that's all I can say!
Far more people will remember the scene that followed when Michelles towel fell down, so I think we can safely assume this has not done any lasting damage to H&S culture.
I am more bothered by the Boots advert when the man walks into the office with a headache and all the office girls offer him a selection of drugs - quite a mine field of legislation there, and it's shown several times a day!
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Didn't see it wish I had though as I watched football on BBC and we were beaten in quarter final by Hearts!!!
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Rank: Super forum user
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As my wife pointed out, the builder that fell from his ladder was doing the job because he was a lot cheaper than Bill, the builder in the Street, who gave the first quote - the lesson is that you get what
you pay for.
John C
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If Coronation St starts pushing a positive H&S agenda its akin to East German cold war media manipulation, in fact its close to some Orwellian nightmare. We really dont want ANY agenda being pushed into light entertainment.
Jez
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Rank: Super forum user
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I empoyed a roofer a few years ago to install white upvc cladding.
Guess what? Yes he fell off his ladder.
I had a gut feeling that would happen so I arranged to go out for the day.
I arrived home just in time to miss the "accident", the roofer was rubbing his elbow and knee while hopping up and down.
My wife had told him they way he was working he would come a cropper, and she was right.
Shame on me ha ha.
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Not something I watch, but reminded me of a pre-placement vetting visit from my time with one of the TECs. Self employed builder was so keen to tell me about an accident he'd had to prove how safe he now was. When asked if he had reported it the HSE he replied that all the emergency services turned up, ambulance, police, fire ... so he thought everyone that needed to know did ........
I politely turned him down after explaining some of his duties to him.
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An Orwellian nightmare just because they show a tower scaffold on Corrie?? a slight over-reaction me thinks.
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bye33332 wrote:I am more bothered by the Boots advert when the man walks into the office with a headache and all the office girls offer him a selection of drugs - quite a mine field of legislation there, and it's shown several times a day!
A minefield of legislation? How so? They didn't produce the painkillers from the first aid kit, so where is the problem?
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nicholassutcliffe wrote:An Orwellian nightmare just because they show a tower scaffold on Corrie?? a slight over-reaction me thinks.
Perhaps, the point I am making is that it is not for the entertainment industry to communicate the 'policy' of the state. What's next - hidden messages in Eastenders to grass up benefit cheats, a plot in Emmerdale promoting the virtues of paying tax? Perhaps Hollyoaks should include a thought provoking story about reducing domestic CO2 levels?
Jez
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