I saw this on FB last night, and the amount of abuse that was being thrown at health and safety as a profession was unreal. Its hard at times to stand up for your profession that you love when there are some people (both inside as well as outside health and safety) that just don't seem to understand some things are beyond their capability and there are consequences for anything you do.

For me the school ought to have seen this coming as soon as they identify somebody as "different" and a potential source of problems. As professionals we can develop a thick skin over the years but a Young Child????? This sort of attack is all too common and this girl represents a new stage. a leading scientist is blown away because of poorly reported information by a feminist journalist, we are harried by the likes of the DM and now parents feel free to follow the lead of discriminatory teachers and their "advisers"

Is this the same girl who we discussed a while ago when she was criticised for having a cane that was alledgedly too long? We have to remember her story was on this social media site as well and some of us may have been critical of the school and if I remember there was one or two comments about the cane. What I will say is I believe the school were discriminating and there is potential for raising a formal complaint through the Court. I did that on behalf of my daughter who was discriminated against, I asked for : 1. An apology from the school, 2. The school to write new polocies, and, 3. The school to train their staff. The Judge awarded in our favour. The school were se very reluctant to apologise to my daughter, disgraceful. Please note no compensation was asked for and none awarded. Not all CLAIMS are about money.

For those who might wonder what this thread is about, have a look at http://www.independent.c...estershire-a6781936.html and http://www.westerndailyp...400747-detail/story.html Also, as FS suggests at #6, this matter was the subject of an earlier thread on this forum at http://forum.iosh.co.uk/...spx?g=posts&t=120207 Bob - In response to your opening question "...are we seeing how poor H&S RAs are leading to the new phenomena of cyber bullying" I think the answer is a definite no. Far from being a new phenomenon, it seems that cyber bullying has been around for almost as long as digital social media has been available to ordinary people. Also, despite the sometimes confusing media reports about who made what risk assessment regarding the blind girl "banned from using her cane at school", I think responsibility (or more accurately LACK of responsibility) for the postings made on social media about the matter since it became public in mid-November rest predominantly with the people who made them and not with those who made the allegedly poor risk assessment or others who made or endorsed decisions based on it. This thread of yours spurred me to look for the latest media updates about the matter. They've triggered further thoughts which seem best added to the original thread rather than this one in order to maintain their context. Graham B