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stevie40  
#1 Posted : 18 March 2016 07:37:22(UTC)
Rank: Super forum user
stevie40

Anyone else notice these two stories on the BBC site this week? Firstly - http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/education-35819366 Schools fear civil litigation. News report follows a school carrying out outdoor lessons in archery, fire making etc. Judith Hackett also in attendance. One segment shows the students feeding animals from a tractor trailer. That was 16th March. The very next day this incident is reported in Notts (although it occurred on the 11th of March). http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/education-35819366 11 children and 2 staff injured when the trailer they were riding in became detached from the tractor and launched the injured parties into the air (paraphrasing an eyewitness report). Personally I am all for bumps and scrapes as per the first story but I do wonder about the sanity of transporting primary school children unsecured in a farm trailer on a public highway (note police investigating not HSE). How did that ever get past the risk assessment stage?
Sunstone  
#2 Posted : 18 March 2016 09:14:42(UTC)
Rank: Forum user
Scotty C

Both links are to the same story? Have I misread your post?
JohnW  
#3 Posted : 18 March 2016 09:34:17(UTC)
Rank: Super forum user
JohnW

firesafety101  
#4 Posted : 18 March 2016 09:35:19(UTC)
Rank: Super forum user
firesafety101

I did all that as a kid, not in school however, except for smelting metals but we always had a fire to play with. My High School woodwork teacher even allowed me to make a crossbow. Many farms have tractor rides for children and adults, not on public roads but no different on farm tracks and muddy fields. If the tractor towbar was defective then blame can be passed over to its owner. Schools should be allowed to experiment as long as they assess themrisks properley, in my opinion. Once in a chemistry lesson when the teacher left the room I opened a tap to release hydrogen sulphide into the classroom. It really stunk the place out and everyone had a great laugh, then I received such a rollicking off the teacher on his return. Maybe it was his fault after all. Have I still got time to sue the achool ha ha
stevie40  
#5 Posted : 18 March 2016 09:40:24(UTC)
Rank: Super forum user
stevie40

Thanks JohnW - my mistake
firesafety101  
#6 Posted : 18 March 2016 09:43:34(UTC)
Rank: Super forum user
firesafety101

If this accident had been on a school trip in a double decker bus would the school be blamed, I don't think so. Similarly IMO the blame must rest with the tractor owner, as long as the school had checked competence including insurance.
WatsonD  
#7 Posted : 18 March 2016 09:59:34(UTC)
Rank: Super forum user
WatsonD

I find the sad side effect of this is that its makes people, in this instance schools, more reluctant to do things like this in future. At which point what gets the blame - Health & Safety! (it's gone mad don't you know!) Ultimately, the fault is most likely down to the farmer, for not hitching the trailer properly, or worse having ill maintained equipment. What won't be reported on is how a better understanding of health & safety could help to prevent this sort of thing in the future. An opportunity to show H&S in a positive light for a change.
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