This just sums up whats wrong with this

[Norman Verona]

What I'm saying is that everyone has said it's a joke, which it is.

However, we haven't seen the full transcript and for all we know the council may have excellent training and wonderful 4 colour maunuals. But did he get either?

The written word can be easily confused. For example. We wrote to an official in order to get medical cover. She wrote back saying that, if it was CMU we were after she couldn't do anything.

We took that as a NO. In fact she meant we had to see someone else because she didn't deal with it.

I've spent more than average time in courts and have huge respect for the judges I've seen in action. The perception may be they're a load of old duffers but I didn't find any. They sit there a watch the dregs of humanity go by. They sometimes make statements which we would find daft. But if you sat in the court you probably wouldn't find it daft at all.

However, having said all that, if a 73 year old man applies for a job as a careteker I would have thought he should know how to climb a ladder without falling of and work a drill without putting it through his hand, and screw a lightbulb in on his own.....

[Boomy]

So he hadn't been shown how to use a step ladder by his employer?

Why do I find it *very* hard to believe that he has never used a stepladder before at 73 years of age...

It suggests....

"Hampshire County Council said the caretaker was given adequate training and equipment to do the job.

The authority said Mr Gower-Smith signed an induction training sheet in 2002 on starting the job to show he had received training to use stepladders"  

I wonder if this means he had training with this council at that point and signed, or he signed it as if to say he had been trained with someone else before he joined the council, so probably just lied on the induction sheet if you see what I mean (as after all, who has ever needed training on a ladder before the world went mad?)

So, which ever way, the guy says he has had training, then he falls off one and claims he hasn't had enough training......and he wins the case! If all true, this is utter, utter madness.

At work, we just received a new forklift (moffat) and were told we were not allowed to so much as change a bulb on it, even though all this involves is opening a plastic cover and taking out the small bulb.The reason I was told when I asked why not was: "Are you and auto electrician? No, you are not, imagine if there was a fire as a result of your actions" So now, if a bulb were to go, we need to call one of the service guys and wait a few hours for him to turn up.It's odd really, we are not allowed to pop open a cover and remove a bulb, yet we are allowed to drive over rough terrain loading and unloading around people, possibly with two tons of gear on the front and tip-over risk, be trusted to clamp it onto the back of a truck securely and drive it down motorways hoping it will not fall off etc and operate six joysticks with multi functions and back/forward pedals all at the same time........just because we spent a few hours on one in a flat car park! But, change a bulb? Waaaaay too dangerous  

[slater]

when this story first broke, apparently the caretaker had been working in jobs that required a ladder for most of his working life  an induction is just that, they take you through everything required for the job you are about to undertake, I have been roofing since 1963 apart from a 12 year break in the army, but when we work on a new site I have to have an induction course  past experience counts for nothing, perhaps I should fall off a ladder,  not to far, and boost my retirement fund which is exactly what he has done. I hope the council appeals, mind they would probably be better off

lewis

[lukeyboy]

Unfotunately it's all true, I work in local government and basically if your not shown how to wipe your A*** and you injure yourself in the process it's clim city arizona!!

I run a maintenance contract which involves maintaining traffic signals and you wouldn't believe the training and HSE involvement. At one point it was looking like we would have to use a b****y mobile platform (scissor lift thingy) just to change a lamp, which is a 2 minute job. That would have ment getting the platform to site, closing the footpath, deploying signs and guarding for the public to get round etc etc. Bearing in mind you might get 20 lamp faults a day throughout the city...... in the end a bit of common sense crept in. Now it's something like if your using steps it got to be less than 10 mins, tie steps to pole, level ground, 3 points of contact. I think the men have a harness too, but that just tips them upside down when they fall off  

All I need to d when it's coming up to retirement is drop a manhole on me foot or fall off some ladders and I'm sorted    Never been shown how to use em you see!!    

[Norman Verona]

And you all wonder why you pay £2000 + in council tax and get nothing.

You get the best trained bulb changers in the world.  

[lukeyboy]

And you all wonder why you pay £2000 + in council tax and get nothing.

You get the best trained bulb changers in the world.  

Nah! the council were s***e at that so we took it to Siemens........... Siemens are the best lamp changes!!  

[*Emma*]

not just this f*****g country!

[Boomy]

not just this f*****g country!

Oh Lord, is there no end to it?

I remember some Yanky woman taking her boyfriend to court for standing her up and winning too iirc.

[pistonbroke]

I blame it all on the venetians  

For turning a blind eye !      

[lukeyboy]

To tell you how far things are going............. the last site I was on they were using hollow recycled plastic kerbs!!  

I enquired how they stood up to impacts from vehicles, oil / derv spills, weakening by sunlight, would the concrete bed stick to them etc. but no one seem to know! This is all down to manual handling and H&S.

I asked the mason how they were to lay and he said the only problem is that when he hits one side of the kerb with his mallet (to level up) the other side of the kerb shoots up in the air.  

Anyway, whats a 73 year old doing working? he should be cutting people up in the town centre with his tartan shopping cart and mumbling about todays yoof!!  

[Muttleys V8]

He's seventy f**king three for God's sake.

"It's been a mild winter"