Here we go again........ An all user email has been sent to all our staff stating what is allowed and isn't allowed when decorating the office for the upcoming London Olympics, top of the list is:- "Bunting can be hung from the ceiling as long as Blue Tac is used - cello tape should not be used" This email was sent by my immediate manager, I politely asked how the staff were going to reach the ceiling, one of the many comments back was using a ladder? Just when I thought common sense was prevailing....................................................AAARRRRHHHHH

Olympic bunting! What's that all about? Presumably being put up in break times!

The sellotape may well damage the ceiling. Blue Tac much less likely. It's an FM issue, not H&S (except for the access!)

Steve, its a good job I wasn't drinking my coffee or it would now be all over the keyboard. Funnily enough sellotape originated as a cellulose-based product and the c was changed to s for the purpose of registering a trade mark.

An open invite to decorate their office with bunting during the olympics? Really? How disgraceful............ You know what. Shoot me down in flames but I don't really care if they stand on a desk to put up decorations (as long as it's a reasonably strong table and they are not obese). In fact a table may be more stable than a ladder! Yes I know it's not an appropriate piece of work equipment but you know what, so what. People have been doing it that way for years. I know I know......I'm irresponsible, I'm not taking such matters seriously, I don't appreciate the real cost of insurance claims. I could never do H&S in offices I just don't see the big dangers there that everyone else seems to. I'll take my chances in court.

Now now Clare, I understand your fustration and it's definately not on my "radar" of priorities, but I personally wouldn't be seen to advocate standing on desks. If anthing else it would dilute my arguments in other areas when dealing with W@H. I wouldn't get my knickers in a twist about someone standing on a desk, but there's no way I could turn a blind eye...

Ha ha... You mean you haven't felt 'included' in the LONDON games by the damp squib that has been the olympic flame as it travels it's way round this great nation of ours???? ;-) Can't believe how many people I know have wasted money on tickets for things like synchronised swimming and mens beach volleyball. Just so they can spend even more money on accomodation and food and drinks. And have the pleasure of being shoulder to shoulder with thousands of other people grumbling about the queues, the toilets, the cost of everything and the weather!! Think I'll watch our athletes lose from the comfort of my own living room...when I haven't got better things to do like being out enjoying the lovely countryside :-)

Know what you mean Clairel - out Saturday with the missus, local KFC being decorated, bloke up a ladder with a brick under one end to make it level as the ground wasn't. Funny thing was the missus spotted it first - my response "come on lets go for a drink". At the end of the day he doesn't need me to tell him that what he is doing is unsafe does he? You could train monkeys quicker.

Victor, But would walk past you if you worked for KFC? I'd hope not. Clare, I couldn't, I wouldn't, I don't.... http://www.hse.gov.uk/sh...lives/posterbuilding.pdf While I appreciate the HSE's stance may be slightly sensualised, it's not that difficult to address this issue without going "OTT". As a minimum a short anendmum to the memo explaining where employees can get some safety steps from would suffice, along with brief instructions for checking their condition. Walking past people standing on desks can't be effective in driving a safe culture and personal responsibiltiy can it...? BR Ian

How do you know what their rate of pay is NEE' ONIONS MATE?

errrr....I don't think you meant sensualised. I think you meant sensationalised! Briefly standing on a solid stable desk to put up a banner is a bit different to maintenance work from a chair. Like I said possibly more stable than a stepladder, which to the height of a ceiling can be a bit wobbily. I walk past lots of stuff that's not 'technically' quite right in my job becuase otherwise I'd overload the client with problems, they'd do nothing instead of something and the big stuff would get missed. I save my voice for what matters and that means using my judgement. I'm ok with the fact that others don't agree with that judgment all the time.

- - - and then you'll have Christmas to cope with.

We're doing a lot for the olympics and then have to collect it all in 3 weeks. Got a depot in Walthamstow and bad enough finding a hotel now with all the pre-event workers still down there. Thank god i'm on holiday when they start and can avoid the depot again till sometime in September (hopefully).

I have watched the progression of this discussion topic ( and ones similar to this in the past), and it always strikes me there is an issue which nobody seems to mention. Oddly its one of the things I think about each time, and am I wrong for thinking this way :- If for instance there was an accident say from falling off a desk, or it collapsing from under someone, in an office where everyone is crammed in. You would likely hit other office furniture on the way down and the result would not be pleasant. Even assuming you didn’t catch your eye or teeth, and just say the person suffered a broken arm / leg. Putting aside any possible legal issues, effect on accident stats, or insurance claims that may make next year’s policy go up a bit. If the person was say the company’s best sales person who could no longer drive to see customers, isn’t the cost to the company very significant. The injured person could easily be out of action for 8 to 10 weeks ( so one fifth of a working year). Would the company owner / MD not find this unacceptable? Employee numbers are kept as low as possible in this day and age and I dare say just below the number they probably should have, so I would have thought most workers’ being fully functional is a necessity. I have stood on chairs, desks and I have made my own assessment, and willing to live with any consequences. In work, some people may feel pressured to join in, or take a risk they normally would not or simple don’t have the ability to assess the strength of a piece of office furniture. Although I don’t feel we should nanny people, the idea of standing on desks seems to go against the grain and could have a significant impact on the company. Am I wrong for these thoughts ? No one ever seems to comment on this. Not wishing to be a killjoy, someone must change the lights in the office (or other such duties), who has a ladder and any appropriate training, couldn’t they be asked to put up decorations. Perhaps false ceilings should come with integral hooks so decorations can be put up from ground level with a pole. There just has to be a better answer. I can’t help but wonder if modern chipboard desks come with ratings like gloves (puncture, wear, cut etc). Desks could have ratings for holding small /medium /large people, and shoe type from trainer to 6 inch stiletto.

When or doc controller asked for the starters to be removed because of glare from the overhead diffusers I asked our M&E chap to do it when the doc controller went home. He asked me if it was ok to stand on the desk, I said "Of course not - wait 5 minutes until I go home..." It's called reality.

Ray Thanks also for the response, I do understand, I have been in a similar situation, where something had been done and could only have happened with someone on a desk. I have also been in a situation where the shop floor employees had a go at me for being complicit with such a situation, and having double standards. It did nothing for my credibility for other safety issues, which took a while to rebuild.

I seem to have stirred up a bit of a Hornets nest here! My main concern isn't the decorations or how they are put up its the communication used telling the staff its ok to stick stuff up without providing the safe means to do so. I hope that clarifies my point?

hahaha brill !!!!!!!!

very good!!

It seems to me that the fear of being 'kill joys' or practising 'risk avoidance' has caused a certain clouding of judgment. I think this thread is (another) example of how, if not careful, we can swing the pendulum far too far in the other way. Is it not reasonably forseeable that allowing people to stand on desks will eventually end up in a potentially serious accident? The stats quoted by Chris42 seem to point towards this - as does the HSE's "Shattered Lives" campaign. And as far double standards, how can you expect to control work at (similar) height in other areas when you are turning a blind eye in the offices? "Why do I need a stepladder to change the light bulb guv? The sales staff are standing on desks all the time....." Sensible risk managment is about assessing risks in the real world, I agree. It is not about ignoring obvious risks. If it can be controlled then maybe you will think it's fine, but don't give staff carte blanche to start jumping about on desks...