I recently spent a wonderful day at a local RNLI fund raising event, lifeboats, helicopters, sea rescues, the works. We even had the RNLI selling homemade cakes and bacon baps to raise money, a great day. As part of the fundraising a couple of the local fishermen were providing trips around the bay just asking for donations to the RNLI. For some reason they decided to use the old now disused lifeboat slipway for the general public to embark and disembark the fishing boats. I observed the general public walking down the fairly narrow (600-700mm wide) steps on the side of the old slipway, starting at approximately 5 metres above the rocks and dropping to sea level, with no fall prevention whatsoever, and having to pass those disembarking whilst on the narrow steps, although they were almost at sea level by then. Should this have been allowed? Is it OK for the general public to be allowed to take this sort of risk? I suppose the real question is; who would be sued if someone got injured? Should I have done something?

graham As other people who are acquainted with docks and harbours, etc. will confirm, open-edged flights of steps at the sides of structures like you describe are very common. They have to be open-edged to enable people to transfer between boats and the steps at any time and height of tide. The significant vertical height you mention suggests that you were using the slipway at a time when the tide was very low. Was there an inclined handrail bolted to the slipway wall side of the steps so that people had the option of grasping it while using the steps? Earlier this year I saw examples of such steps at the main harbour for St Mary's, the main island of the Isles of Scilly from which numerous small ferry boats convey passengers to and from the other islands and also tourists on pleasure cruises. Recessed into the vertical-sided harbour wall at intervals are 4 or more stone stairways, all open-sided and about 1 metre/39ins wide, each with a single sloping handrail bolted to the harbour wall. The steps are used by people of all ages, including some carrying babies or holding onto young children. At times the steps are used simultaneously by people going up and others descending with the result that those on the outer sides of the steps have nothing to prevent them falling off the edge. Though I didn't feel very comfortable doing this but neither knew the accident history, if any, of the steps nor what could realistically be done about it. If I was at the top of the steps and about to descend, I tended to wait for anyone ascending to get to the top of the steps so that neither of us was obliged to pass the other on the outside. However, quite often when I was halfway on the steps, one or more people would start coming the other way - situations which suggested to me that the prospect of step etiquette being widely adopted by step users was very low. Also, as already discussed in various other threads on this forum, there are other types of unprotected edge features in places accessed by employees, customers and/or members of the public, including railway platforms and canal lock chambers.

OMG. I'm out of here!!!

The answer to the question posed by this thread's title surely depend on which of the two common definitions of 'nerd' (according to internet sources) is being used, namely 1. a foolish or contemptible person who lacks social skills and/or is boringly studious or 2. An intelligent, single-minded expert in a particular technical discipline or profession. If it's the second one, consider it as an accolade and one which could apply to most users of this forum! :-)

I took a picture from my hotel room in Tunisia of two workmen, in bare feet working on a glass large roof by standing, walking and laying on it. No nets, crawlboards, harnesses etc. Below was the main restaurant area....I now use the picture for my W@H Training.....because that's how I roll..