Jump to content

Official Health/Safety response on clearing pavements


Nero

Recommended Posts

The issue of liability if somebody were to slip on a pavement that you have cleared is nothing to do with Health and Safety Law. Your newspaper reviewer (on 5 Live) has either misunderstood or misquoted the Institution of Occupational Safety and Health.

For many decades it has been a matter of common law negligence, established by the courts, that snow on the ground is a natural peril whereas a badly cleared pavement is the fault of the person who failed to clear it properly - hence they can be sued for negligence.

It is very difficult to clear snow effectively unless you have adequate salt and equipment. A badly cleared pavement is more slippery than one with snow on it. Therefore the advice not to attempt to clear it is both sensible and practical as well as being a matter of avoiding liability.

It is neither funny nor clever to keep criticising H&S which prevents many workplace accidents and deaths - this country is one of the very safest in the world.

Regards,

William Jackson Senior Health and Safety Consultant Chartered Member of The Institution of Occupational Safety and Health

Link to comment
Share on other sites

It appears that the view of this person is not to clear paths unless you have the right tools for the job. Very sensible however there is also the question over personal responsibility by the person who chooses to walk on the path. If the path wasn't cleared properly but the person still chose to walk on it and then slipped and fell, then surely liability would also fall upon the individual?


I tend to agree that health & safety sometimes is unfairly targetted however there are more issues with how H&S is abused by those who use it as an excuse to introduce a change for other reasons that aren't so compelling. Schools being closed due to snow could be seen as an example of this in some circumstances. As is often the case, it's not the legislation itself that is wrong, it's how it is interpretted and wrongly used that is the real problem here.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Create an account or sign in to comment

You need to be a member in order to leave a comment

Create an account

Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!

Register a new account

Sign in

Already have an account? Sign in here.

Sign In Now
  • Latest Discussions

    • Looking for tickets for 2 adults one child under 2 and one child over 2. However, please let me know if you have any combination of tickets you are no longer able to use.  Thanks 07756110500
    • all I said was "take a pro cash stance too far" - what twisting have I done?   plenty of good arguments for retention of cash - but let's not get too detached from reality either lest we go back to trading livestock   But to go back to your post DD:   "Or don't stop using cash" Yep plenty of people will agree with this - nothing controversial here   "Stop using your phone or even your watch as a banknote" - getting a bit weird now - why not - it's super convenient for both users and businesses. And far easier to keep a track of your balance using your electronic wallet than old systems of cheques taking days to clear, how much did I take from cashpoint 2 days ago etc. But people will differ so whatever works   "God only knows how much damage we're doing to the planet because all the above must require a hell of a lot of resources and juice from the grid" - big straw man argument here. Why bring this in? Unless you are also suggesting we don't buy any goods not made from within a 5 mile radius and nothing transported by air or sea? "a big lump of plastic with a screen and full of personal information that can be easily gleamed." I've had my phone stolen but nothing was lost because it was secure.I've been mugged and lost cash and valuable. It's not a binary thing   "your sky rocket with a phone in your hand. It's become a source of dopamine for many. It's an addiction for many."  Proper overreaching now
    • I agree with the posts that housing is an urgent need in Peckham and throughout Southwark. But as Alice says, it’s the percentage of social / affordable housing that matters. In October last year, there were over 4,200 households on the Council’s waiting list for housing in Peckham alone (over 17 thousand across Southwark). But the developer is only offering 35% affordable housing (which means that 65% will be unaffordable). Both Southwark Council and the GLA say that a big development like this should provide 50% affordable housing.   Re-development of the site is a great opportunity to make the town centre “cleaner, safer and more sustainable and welcoming” (borrowing Nigello’s great words). Is this dense development going to do that, when it provides no real green and open space where people can spend time outside and nature can help us tackle the growing problems of climate change like absorbing flood water, cooling the air on baking summer days? Are 7-storey buildings along Rye Lane (where the average buildings are 2-3 storeys) going to be welcoming to users of the town centre? How will the development impact on Peckham’s economy? Currently there is busy daytime commercial activity of shops providing for different demographics and needs including a rich offering of international groceries and other products, alongside a thriving night-time economy. I can’t see anything in the proposal that suggests how it will enhance and empower the local economy. Yes please, let’s have a great development on this site that enhances the town centre. This means not letting the developer get away with packing people into dense blocks that turn their back on the town centre and which will be a recipe for urban decay in the long run. Peckham deserves better than this!
    • You know when you are wrong but think you're right because the internet etc? Read it and twist it how you want if it makes you feel better. I use a card as well as cash. You are pro jumping the gun and pro cynical. Yeah,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,, Pro cash 🙃Who isn't? Is being pro card some kind of middle class virtue signaling thing? Like jumping to conclusions seems to be. Oooh the uncouth commoner uses that dirty cash stuff. Orf with his head.
Home
Events
Sign In

Sign In



Or sign in with one of these services

Search
×
    Search In
×
×
  • Create New...