Safe Systems of Work... Fiddling with Tradition

Christmas is looming which amongst other things means the reruns of old films. ‘The Fiddler on the Roof’ opens with Tevye singing ‘TRADITION!’ And as the plot progresses we see him struggle to accept change as he hankers for the old days and the old ways.

This is also the case in the world of Health & Safety; as the law insists we must change and make things safer, many ‘Tevyes’ in the workplace can be uncomfortable with and resist change, insisting ‘but this is the way we’ve always done it’. Unfortunately this doesn’t go down well with Inspectors and Judges who will enforce the law as if a risk can be eliminated then that is what we must do even if it means changing the traditional ways.

So this Christmas your co-operation is expected when changing tradition and making the job of a Red suited, ho-ho-hoing, delivery man a lot safer.

Consider the current work method involved in entering millions of private dwellings via their various chimneys - risk assessing all those chimneys is an enormous task in itself.

Apart from the Health, Safety & Welfare at Work Legislation stipulating that we must provide a safe place and safe systems of work, we have also to consider the working at heights regulations. In many instances Mr. S. Claus doesn’t have safe access to the many roof tops and frequently has no fall protection measures in place; and as PPE is the last line of defence and should only be used as a last resort the health & safety department have decided to look at an alternative work method for him.

Additionally there is the whole ‘Confined Space Entry’ aspect of the job which can be incredibly unsafe - the accident records already show that Santa got stuck in a chimney in the past. The incident was so bad (and embarrassing) that they even wrote a song about it - bet you’re singing it now! What was the rescue plan for this eventuality? The accident investigation revealed that Santa had to shout out for children to pull him out, which may then have put the children at risk of injury. Wouldn’t the press have a field day with that one! And this is all before we even consider the manual handling risks for Santa or those of working in adverse weather conditions, the long hours, vehicle maintenance, or the risks of working with animals (Lyme disease or Borreliosis can be transmitted if bitten by Reindeer ticks).

So this Christmas a responsible adult is requested to be present on delivery night and to open the door when they hear the sleigh bells. So no point in singing TRADITION; or in moaning about how Health & Safety is taking the fun out of everything. This is a far safer way to get the task done and substantially reduces the risks.

Now will some one please get that unauthorised Fiddler OFF the roof!