Elf Anne Safety January

Elf Anne Safety.

These days it seems that even the safest of occupations are a minefield of hidden hazards. No job today goes without a long list of rules and regulations. So let me introduce you to guest blogger Elf Anne Safety who will be bring you from time to time, a few snippets of the latest Elf news and Elf safety guidance from around the UK.

If you happen to come across any suitable items for inclusion please leave a comment on the blog.

Just ask the staff at Renfrewshire Council what they recently found out. When one worker slipped and broke his collar-bone, collecting hedge trimmings. All 8000 staff, including teachers and office workers, were issued with guidelines about collecting hedge trimmings to make sure it didn't happen again.

A member of the public erected a swing for their children on an allotment that they rent from their parish council. They were requested by the parish council to remove the swing on the grounds of health and safety.

Lincolnshire Police's Chief Constable Richard Crompton has apologised over "unnecessary" advice given to officers about how to pack their lunches. Guidance on keeping lunch boxes cool and avoiding out-of-date food was issued to 1,219 officers and other staff.

The Caravan Club magazine has reported that it was now removing all irons and ironing boards from its caravan sites on the grounds of health and safety.

Graduating students at Anglia Ruskin University in Cambridge were told not to pose for pictures throwing their hats in the air in case someone was injured by the falling headgear. The justification was that someone had been hurt by a falling hat a few years previously. Students said university bosses might as well ban the whole ceremony in case someone crashed their car on the way there.

A swimming pool lifeguard prevented a parent taking their 8-year old child into the deep end of the pool during a private swimming club session. The child was a confident swimmer, able to swim 2 pool lengths and accompanied by his father and other strong club swimmers. The pool's policy was for swimmers to be able to swim 3 lengths before being able to be in the deep end.

Being a police officer is a dangerous job. From violent offenders to high-speed pursuits, we all know the risks. But you wouldn't think cycling would be one of them. However Cheshire Police had other ideas, and last year forced all officers to pass a cycling proficiency test before they could go on patrol on bikes. A PC wag said "I understand its the Green Cross Code next. Just in case they ever need to cross the road, now that all the lollipop ladies have been made redundant."

A woman has asked her local authority parking services department to put cones in the street to reserve a parking space for her removal van. This request was refused on the grounds of health and safety. She said "I can't wait for a hole dug in the road to be surrounded by cones. Then I can complain about the danger to the council. Someone should do something about the millions of them on our motorways."

When 98-year-old Florrie Tranter was given the all-clear to leave hospital after suffering breathing problems, the West Midlands pensioner was keen to go home. But she was kept in hospital while transport bosses deliberated over whether it was safe to do so because of a four-inch step at her front door. Two safety assessments were carried out and she was only given the go-ahead to be taken home when her son-in-law contacted newspapers about the situation.

A Perth and Kinross school (PFI) occupies a building owned and administered by a private company. They have been told that they cannot display children's work on windows using "Blu Tack" due to Health and Safety concerns. This say teachers, impacts on the way they teach in their classrooms and their children's education. Blu Tack themselves say its perfectly safe to use on window glass. 

Now for some real health and Safety news:

The following advice has been issued regarding hose pipes used for filling water tanks on boats. It has warned of the dangers of Legionnaires' Disease developing in any water left in a coiled pipe. Legionnaires' Disease can form in a hosepipe left with stagnant water at temperatures between 20oC and 45oC which is easily reached in the sun.

Plus the possible carcinogenic risk of cancer from garden hose pipes that are mainly used for filling the tanks on boats. Hoses that are intended for garden use, constantly used for filling a water tank is at risk. Think also of the pipe itself, and get yourself a flat one that is clearly marked "for food use."

Later....