Just a light hearted post here. I attend a great BI group each week been on days out and go to an allotment with them sometimes. The staff there are easy to get on with can have a laugh with them, but they have always made it clear to everyone while we are there they are responsible for us which I can understand even tho we are all capable of looking after ourselves the staff have explain as it’s a charity they run to help people with BI they are careful to make sure nothing happens as it would effect them being able stay open. Today we was at an allotment all helping doing bits. A few of us were helping the man who set the group up join some wood together he had hammered few nails in then asked if any of us wanted a go, so I said I’d do one to which he insisted I put some gardening gloves on for. I asked if it was really needed but he insisted I needed to. Would anyone else really specially put gloves on to knock a nail in? Also when this man had knocked nails in just before me he hadn’t worn gloves. Not big issue but slightly annoying tho did joke with him after about there being one rule for him and another for us. Really I think he’s probably over cautious cos the charity means so much to him, but seriously if you hit you fingers with hammer it’s going to hurt with or without gloves and I’m definitely not the sort of person to blame others for me hurting myself.
Overcautious or what?: Just a light hearted post... - Headway
Overcautious or what?
There are health and safety standards and policies that affect the running of any official group, organisation or business etc, not just Headway, so it won't be his own over cautious decision. There will be policies dictating what has to be done. If someone gets injured there are a lot of forms that have to be filled out in detail about what happened, and any organisation has to show they put the right safety precautions in place as far as possible. Unfortunately we now live in a world where people will sue often for very little reason but will go out of their way to find something that suggests blame to get some money. So yes it often feels and seems that health and safety rules have gone excessively over the top!
Hi Keele.
Yep what happened to good old common sense.....Oh that's right it kept getting sued by those that don't have any so changed its name to health and safety.
The gloves are a good idea against splinters but not great to hold a hammer.
It does make you feel like being treat like a child but there usually is a good date reason behind it.
Keep enjoying your days out.
Pax
Unfortunately Pax that much vaunted "common sense"
Is one of the rarest commodities around.
Yep I finally knew the world had gone mad when I read the back of a peanut pack...yep it did say may contain nuts.
Along with a tooth pick with the instructions printed on the packet.
It reaffirms my belief that if that is a normal world I am glad I ain't normal.
X
The allergy stuff, ie nuts/eggs and what not is a blanket legislation which makes sense on the whole, you’d be surprised where these things end up, lactose gets everywhere! Does clearly lead to there maybe nuts in a packet of nuts though!
Lot of other stuff though is not a requirement or even common sense but often lazy thinking, and often can make more work/liability in the long term.
Quite understand that traces of peanuts can easily get into mass produced food...But on a packet of peanuts.?????
Infact I think if there hadn't been at least a trace then i may have complained.
The health and safety issue can go a little to far along with all the firm filling and risk assessments.
I am inolved in a walking group...Yes me who can't walk far or fast.....And the risk assessment sheet can be unbelievable. Approached with a common sense view they sort of make sense.
I understand all the liable cases that have brought this health and safety but feel sometimes it take the responsibility away from people.
Pax.
You can blame the insurers and all those people who stop you in the town center if you have a limp, asking if you've had an accident.
Must admit I rather like getting stopped by those people.
Yes I have a limproblem and often get stopped by the same great question.
" accident sir" they ask
" yes thanks " I reply adding" I didn't enjoy it much so don't want another".
It usually gives you enough time while they think what you have said to make an escape.
Pax
he should have led by example and worn gloves himself, health and safety is for everyone
Lol exactly my point. Can understand him being cautious to protect the charity, but would like some common sense used as well. I’ve been going to this charity a year now and go every week and on every day out and anything they plan so obviously enjoy going and get on with everyone so I think it’s common sense that I would rather just carry on going there than try to sue them for a stupid reason that was my own daft fault anyway. Good thing is I can turn it round and say it’s only fair there is same rules for everyone .
You shouldn't be wearing gloves when using a hammer because you are unable to grip it properly and it might slip out of your hand. So it's actually more dangerous x
Unfortunately it's amazing what people will try and sue for. I have a relative who was a nurse, she once saved a man's life who she saw collapse whilst out shopping. In the process she broke one of his ribs and he tried to sue her for it. Bonkers!!!!
Hope he didn’t succeed. Really there does need to be less of this health and safety rubbish and more common sense. Like when you think safest way to never risk being hurt or anything happening is never go out as you may get run over or fall could even fall down stairs or steps. Wouldn’t be much of a life never doing anything but would be safest. Another thing this man has been over cautious with slightly more understandable but could have easily done without is drinkinging water when running. A few times at end of last year I went on short runs with him only just over an hour for up to 7k so slow but he always insisted on me having water. He hated having to stop so would pester me to have little drink while running. I normally did to shut him up but would have preferred just having some once finished or if I really needed it which I never did.
Hi Keeley no the accusation/lawsuit didn't even get to court. It is ridiculous just how daft things have become my Mum had home help once through an organisation ,,, because of H&S the home help couldn't clean windows, hoover the stairs or wash the net curtains all of which needed doing. My mum got 'shot' of them and now has someone else who does all that and more. It's beggars belief!
Where is the group baised? My husband is divorcing me so I am going to want to join groups to ensure I go out and do not just stay in the house.
Mufc
I am based in Chesterfield and with my tbi I cannot drive.
Seems to depend on the group, a lot of small charities do seem to be over cautious, and data hoovers, which means they also legally need to hold that data.
Have to say that my local headway is one of the few that doesn't, it takes the view that as its a drop in centre that the organisation doesn't need to know your medical details.
Also sometimes 'carers' can find it difficult to relax, few years ago I did a charity ride for my local Headway with one of the volunteers who at least for the first half essentially tried to mother me, bare in mind that I'm old enough to be her father, and am a keen cyclist so though anxious of riding in close quarters again, but in terms of road craft and fitness the ride wasn't a issue.
Yea I think all this safety and protection has gone too far. Another example here at this BI group I’ve been going for a year now and more or less from me starting going they have regularly taken photos of us while doing activities. No one has ever had problem with this and we all do and I’ve actually had few laughs with few of staff both me getting photos and videos of them. Last year I had a few month trying to get video of man who set group up dancing. This went on a few month with him winding me up dancing when I didn’t have my phone out then stopping. I did eventually get him after he decided to let me get him. Then a woman who works there who had seen me trying to get man on video decided to have a laugh and videoed me tasting some food filming me right close. Couldn’t help laughing. Now a few week back they had to get everyone to sign saying they were ok about staff getting photos of us. Now just about every time I’ve been they have taken photos so why would anyone have problem now?
Well tomorrow should be interesting. A few of us who go to the group are wanting to walk the 3 Yorkshire peaks. It was planned that we would walk them next month as part of a fitness group they started doing only now they don’t do the fitness group. So a few of us are on about doing them together sometime this summer. It was originally my idea through a short conversation with man who runs group or more like him being over cautous with me. He noticed me listening once when he mentioned 3 peaks he straight away said I wouldn’t manage them. Since then I’ve wanted to prove him wrong. So tomorrow I will get to talk to him so going to mention a few of us want to walk 3 peaks and see if he would come with us more for us to show him we can manage . Out of all who want to go there is only 1 that may struggle and considering she’s very fit for her early 70s. I know if the man thinks there’s any risk to anyone doing it he will just say no he’s not going so I’m going to suggest having 2 groups one who’s doing all 3 peaks and another for people who may not manage tho I think we all could manage taking it steady. Also going to add a bit about doing it as sponsor event to raise money for the charity.
Well spoke to him about 3 peaks and as I expected he is cautious over us doing it, but said he would feel better if we worked up to doing 3 peaks rather than just go and do them. For me that’s great I enjoy any activity with the group so his way means more time with the group so I’m all for it.
As for the gloves I got him to admit it was the health and safety side of running a BI group but wouldn’t go as far to say it was stupid. He actually did give good excuse for not having gloves on himself til I reminded him. His excuse was he forgot cos he got BI which is true as it’s the reason he set the group up. So this is definitely something there is no way he will back down on so ill be reminding him to put gloves on. Actually got him to put gloves on when he was sawing wood, didn’t know if he would say you needed them but asked him and he put some on. Least I can have a laugh with him.
Update on this health and safety I still have same opinion on it and the man running the BI group has finally admitted he agrees its stupid but of course for sake of the charity he has to still follow health and safety rules. They now say I’m health and safety officer which means I’m to make sure everyone has gloves on when needed which won’t be often now as the wood has been sanded so we can’t get splinters. They have also took step further and got someone to put my name on a luminous vest stating I’m health and safety officer. Well considering I’m hoping they may offer me a job sometime it can’t do any harm going along with this and we have a laugh with it.
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