Rank: Guest
|
Posted By John Beaumont
In the latest news from the Rural Industries Specialist Group; posted on Thursday, 11 May 2006;-
Making sense of new Work at Height regs, in a question and answer format, the question is asked;
Is horse riding considered work at height?
The answer given is; No. Work at height includes work at ground level beside excavations but not horse riding or sitting in a combine.
BUT the guidance to the regulations specifically says (quote); 'we would not be inclined to apply the Regulations to a mounted police officer on patrol'
It looks to me therefore as if it applies to all horse riders except police officers on patrol
Any comment?
What about a police officer on patrol mounted on a bicycle? Or any else who rides a bike at work?
|
|
|
|
Rank: Guest
|
Posted By J Knight
This has really got me thinking actually. My initial thoughts were on the lines of 'riding bikes at work should already be covered by PUWER', but so would using ladders, and what other law covers riding a horse? I guess HSE is only trying to apply a 'common-sense' approach, but they evidently lack parctice, and we do no that WAHR do apply in circumstances like getting in and out of cranes etc; how would mounting a horse be different in principle from getting into a crane cab? (yes, I know one is much higher than the other, but surely the principle's the same). And people do get badly hurt falling off horses. Now bicycles, I could put forward an argument that says that somebody on a bicycle isn't actually at a height; their feet are off the ground, but they are actually lower down than a standing person, especially if they're on a recumbent.
So, I can see a case for including horses; and camels (just spent four hours on one outside Luxor, and boy they are not a stable form of transport, I'll tell you),
John
|
|
|
|
You cannot post new topics in this forum.
You cannot reply to topics in this forum.
You cannot delete your posts in this forum.
You cannot edit your posts in this forum.
You cannot create polls in this forum.
You cannot vote in polls in this forum.