Friday, January 16, 2004
How OSH will kill someone (a parable for our times)
This is a true story, told to me during the holidays by a building inspector. It had a happy ending (at least, no-one got hurt). One day it won't.
A woman recently took a trailer to a Christchurch timber yard to buy some decking for a home project.
After she had chosen the timber, she asked the yard boss if he would help her load the trailer and tie down the load so it would be safe.
The yard boss (an expert at this kind of thing) replied that he could not help her. It was now company policy that no employees help customers to load or secure vehicles. When asked why, he said OSH regulations (a new batch of New Zealand government health and safety regulations) meant that if the woman had an accident involving the timber or trailer on the way home, the company might be held liable. Therefore the experts could not now do the job.
The woman (not an expert), did her best to secure the load (not very well), and drove home very cautiously (and very upset). She got home safely.
One day someone who does not know how to tie a load properly will not get home safely. All because those who are experts are no longer allowed to do the job.
This is a true story, told to me during the holidays by a building inspector. It had a happy ending (at least, no-one got hurt). One day it won't.
A woman recently took a trailer to a Christchurch timber yard to buy some decking for a home project.
After she had chosen the timber, she asked the yard boss if he would help her load the trailer and tie down the load so it would be safe.
The yard boss (an expert at this kind of thing) replied that he could not help her. It was now company policy that no employees help customers to load or secure vehicles. When asked why, he said OSH regulations (a new batch of New Zealand government health and safety regulations) meant that if the woman had an accident involving the timber or trailer on the way home, the company might be held liable. Therefore the experts could not now do the job.
The woman (not an expert), did her best to secure the load (not very well), and drove home very cautiously (and very upset). She got home safely.
One day someone who does not know how to tie a load properly will not get home safely. All because those who are experts are no longer allowed to do the job.
