Idiotic Cork Co. Co. Health & Safety Policy

[FrankSpeaks]

In Kerry the County Council have free grit dumps that permit people to grit there own local roads and footpaths. Across the border in Cork, their Health and Safety Czar won't allow this to happen unless the farmers and locals undertake a half day health and safety course. Utter stupidity, like PC we have gone totally over the top on this issue and consultants are making a fortune on things that are common sense.

 

[Baron von Biffo]

In Kerry the County Council have free grit dumps that permit people to grit there own local roads and footpaths. Across the border in Cork, their Health and Safety Czar won't allow this to happen unless the farmers and locals undertake a half day health and safety course. Utter stupidity, like PC we have gone totally over the top on this issue and consultants are making a fortune on things that are common sense.

And if lawyers make a fortune in Kerry when someone sues after they crash on a privately gritted road what will you say then?

 

[former wesleyan]

In Kerry the County Council have free grit dumps that permit people to grit there own local roads and footpaths. Across the border in Cork, their Health and Safety Czar won't allow this to happen unless the farmers and locals undertake a half day health and safety course. Utter stupidity, like PC we have gone totally over the top on this issue and consultants are making a fortune on things that are common sense.

Might have something to do with the number of people who have tripped over broken paving (compo) in Cork versus the number in Kerry ?petunia

 

[myhonorisloyalty666]

Well **** the Health and Safety czar.

The farmers and locals should go ahead and grit the road themselves.

They have their own grit and their own machines and vehicles.

Go on the rebels!

 

[The Banker]

There is no accounting for the stupidity of people who see themselves as the "Guardians of the public"..

On the news last night it showed a farmer who used his tractor all day long to pull artic trucks who were stuck on hills all day long and I am sure they were grateful.

Imagine if he had to do a health and safety course before attempting to do that??

This country is made up of people "who do" and people "who dont".... No guessing what section the H&S Czar of CCC sits in.
Clown!

 

[FrankSpeaks]

Well **** the Health and Safety czar.

The farmers and locals should go ahead and grit the road themselves.

They have their own grit and their own machines and vehicles.

Go on the rebels!

Kerry Co. Co. provides the grit free. Cork will not due to their health and safety policy which is idiotic. To me it seems that Cork Co. Co. would prefer people to fall or crash on the icy roads rather than provide them with the grit that would alleviate this problem.

 

[FrankSpeaks]

And if lawyers make a fortune in Kerry when someone sues after they crash on a privately gritted road what will you say then?

I think it would be very doubtful if somebody could be blamed for a crash on a gritted road, the purpose of the grit is melt the ice which lessens the risk of slipping or skidding.

 

[Inda Kenny]

According to Biffo in the Dail yesterday a person cannot be sued in someone slips outside their house or premises aftr it has been cleared. Piece in the I Times today this is on the advice of the Attorney General
I wonder are all these H&S heads in work or have they deemed it too unsafe for themselves not to go in

 

[Aindriu]

Yet another reason why the country is falling apart

 

[Kitty O'Shea]

I'd say its insurance requirement & possibly wires crossed, I am not aware of health and safety legislation that covers public matters such as this (maybe if such legislation exists I'd like to know about it!). The county manager might think that he/she would be held responsible such someone decide to sue the council due to injury/accident. A lot of things are blamed on health and safety and its actually more to do with their insurance requirements. The county policy should probably be reviewed as well.

 

[loaf]

I'd say its insurance requirement & possibly wires crossed, I am not aware of health and safety legislation that covers public matters such as this (maybe if such legislation exists I'd like to know about it!). The county manager might think that he/she would be held responsible such someone decide to sue the council due to injury/accident. A lot of things are blamed on health and safety and its actually more to do with their insurance requirements. The county policy should probably be reviewed as well.

Correct - there is no specific legislation in the area of public safety. People are afraid of being sued, not prosecuted.

It's not so much health and safety gone mad, more like compensation claims gone mad.

 

[Destiny's Soldier]

In Kerry the County Council have free grit dumps that permit people to grit there own local roads and footpaths. Across the border in Cork, their Health and Safety Czar won't allow this to happen unless the farmers and locals undertake a half day health and safety course. Utter stupidity, like PC we have gone totally over the top on this issue and consultants are making a fortune on things that are common sense.

You want to know why?

If the people who put out the grit injure themselves they can sue the council.

Recently a man phoned into the council warning that someone could slip on a public foothpath becuase of works being carried out outside his home. What did he go an do? Yes you guessed it, he slipped, and injured himself and sued the council receiving €10,000 from the Judge even though the Judge admitted he didn't believe the claimant or that the injury was that bad.

You want stupidity... go the the courts.

 

[Baron von Biffo]

I think it would be very doubtful if somebody could be blamed for a crash on a gritted road, the purpose of the grit is melt the ice which lessens the risk of slipping or skidding.

According to Doolan (Principles of Irish Law (Sixth edition)) local authorities are not responsible for nonfeasance but they are responsible for misfeasance - That's to say, they are liable for acting but not responsible for failure to act. The act of providing the grit could leave the council open to being sued for damages if it's not properly applied or even for subsequent damage if say poor application led to potholes that damaged a car.

 

[davehiggz]

More Nanny-Statism in Ireland

 

[Expose the lot of them]

The report also mentioned that Cork was going to arrange half day Health & Safety courses for those volunteers/community groups who wanted to grit the backroads. However, they were unable to say when these courses would be scheduled!!!

The cynic in me, tells me that some of the crony "training providers" of FAS fame will make a few bob out of this, probably sometime next year, when the snow is gone.

 

[Farrahy]

unfortunately we live in a compo culture that is second only to the US. Years ago if somebody fell into a hole they looked around and hoped nobody saw them out of embarrassment, nowadays they hope somebody seen them as they have a witness. Look at the case recently in Limerick whereby a father sued a local football club and Glasgow Celtic FC because his 12 year old son broke his wrist during a summer camp when stopping a shot. I cant recall off the top of my head but the amount of compo ran into the tens of thousands. That is why people are being so cautious, for Gods sake there is even ads running on the tv with "Joe" and his growing nose warning of exagerated claims. Thats where the problem lies not with some manager who is terrified of ending up in the High Court and getting a personnal fine.

 

[FrankSpeaks]

unfortunately we live in a compo culture that is second only to the US. Years ago if somebody fell into a hole they looked around and hoped nobody saw them out of embarrassment, nowadays they hope somebody seen them as they have a witness. Look at the case recently in Limerick whereby a father sued a local football club and Glasgow Celtic FC because his 12 year old son broke his wrist during a summer camp when stopping a shot. I cant recall off the top of my head but the amount of compo ran into the tens of thousands. That is why people are being so cautious, for Gods sake there is even ads running on the tv with "Joe" and his growing nose warning of exagerated claims. Thats where the problem lies not with some manager who is terrified of ending up in the High Court and getting a personnal fine.

Why can Kerry Co. Co. do it and Cork can't? It is a joke.

 

[Expose the lot of them]

I thought they had set up a quango (Personal Injuries Board) to reduce personal injury claims, keep them out of the courts and get rid of the ambulance chaser no foal, no fee solicitors.

 

[He3]

The good people of Donegal were way out in front in taking the initiative on this last Winter. Kerry is following their good example.

Cork in this case just looks silly.

 

[Farrahy]

I thought they had set up a quango (Personal Injuries Board) to reduce personal injury claims, keep them out of the courts and get rid of the ambulance chaser no foal, no fee solicitors.

they did and by & large it is keeping claims out of the courts but cases do still end up going there particularly if there is a death involved. The issue with the PIAB is that anyone can look at the Book of Quantum and see in what range their injury falls and how much they can claim. So if somebody has an innocuous arm break they can see in that book that they can potentially get up to 20k straight off, or nearly 17k for a broken finger. So that person is thinking chi-ching and in goes the claim and up goes the insurance premium.