fire door/health and safety legislation

[tim west]

Nazis? you've obviously got something against H&S but you shouldnt think of it as restrictive, its there for your safety aswell.

The way I look at it is it stops an employer from getting away with making you do something unsafe and if one thinks that that same employer would look after you once you are crippled through an accident whilst "helping out" an employer then youd have a shock coming as you are no use to them once in a wheelchair, so look after number one I say.

I'm always surprised when an employee has a go about H&S unless of course you are an employer?

 

[noseall]

i am a sole trader as are all the people that work along side me.
we have the brains to decide what is dangerous and what is not.

i agree, not all people see the dangers. common sense is still a valuable commodity though, surely?

 

[tim west]

As your own boss I suppose you would look on anything causing you to spend more money to do something safely as restrictive but look at it another way if someone(i'm not saying you) continously cuts corners and manages to get away with it eventually will go that little bit further and that could mean the end of his or her livelihood.

I'm glad to see that you decide what is dangerous and what is not and a good tradesman will hopefully always make the right safe decisions that is part of health and safety in action.

where it comes into its own is as pointed out before where you can get rogue employers who intimidate their workforce into acting dangerous the act gives protection to the workforce.

 

[Bilioustrumpstaine]

H&S is of course a good thing but it can go too far, fire doors being closed is common sense, if you are going to leave them open what is the point in installing them in the first place. Kids being banned from playing conkers (and other such incidents) due to "risk assessments" is an unpleasant side effect of over zealous H&S people.

There has to be a point where we stop looking for things that are not really a problem.

Nazi's is a bit strong for my palate

 

[tim west]

H&S is of course a good thing but it can go too far, fire doors being closed is common sense, if you are going to leave them open what is the point in installing them in the first place. Kids being banned from playing conkers (and other such incidents) due to "risk assessments" is an unpleasant side effect of over zealous H&S people.

There has to be a point where we stop looking for things that are not really a problem.

Nazi's is a bit strong for my palate

You can be almost certain that the stories like kids with conkers are the work of over zealous reporters in local rags rather than a health and safety directive ie the teachers at the local school are probably doing the banning for fear of accident and compensation claims so its not a health and safety person but the papers will blame them rather than the teachers.

 

[imamartian]

Guys, i appreciate the discussion, and the opinion, but surely this is cut and dried... it's either legal, or illegal.... if it's down to choice, then i'm with Tim, but i could do with knowing if i'm backed by the weight of the law...

 

[tim west]

you are, why not ask your health and safety dept for clarification or are you a member of a union ask them.

As said before the door is a safety device and must not be tampered or interfered with, wedging it open stops it working.

 

[Bilioustrumpstaine]

For a definitive answer contact your local council.

 

[imamartian]

you are, why not ask your health and safety dept for clarification or are you a member of a union ask them.

As said before the door is a safety device and must not be tampered or interfered with, wedging it open stops it working.

funnily enough the person who is responsible for health and safety is the person i emailed , and guess what.... they actually wedged the door open because people had moaned about the heat !!!!!!!!!!!

 

[tim west]

Then he has taken responsibility for his action and should face the consequences for that action. Mention to him that you now feel unsafe with the door offering no protection anymore and is there any likelihood of a surprise visit by the HSE then stand back and watch him run around checking everything

But joking aside that person doesn't seem the right person for the job and does the manager know what he has done?

dont forget liability to prosecution goes all the way to the top unless it can be proved that they have accepted and covered their responsibilities.

 

[noseall]

how does someone in a wheelchair safely pass through a firedoor?

 

[tim west]

They either ask for assistance or ask for magnetic holding plates to be installed next question

 

[333rocky333]

you could ask the local fire station i'm sure they will know

I went to the local fire brigade to ask advice on a blocked corridor,
As i went in, there fire door was wedged open, with a lump of wood.
He was well embarresed.

He said if it is a business, any fire safety matters , the fire brigade will go and inspect the premises.

But not for residential premises

I was once told , you could be fined if, you wedge the fire door.
Even more if you use the fire extinquisher to do it

 

[tim west]

I was once told , you could be fined if, you wedge the fire door.
Even more if you use the fire extinquisher to do it

I was tempted to say that as a wedge but plumped for saying a heavy weight as ive seen it done before many times but had i said it some bright spark here would have said thats ok as its being prepared for a fire

 

[noseall]

how does someone in a wheelchair safely pass through a firedoor?

..........and there is no one around to help or ask for magnetic plates.