| Do you know how easy it is to create a society | | | | cuddly toys. They wanted a more "professional" |
| and an environment that is fear-based? And do | | | | image for their company and banned the cuddly |
| you know how easily people buy into this fear? | | | | toys on the grounds of health and safety. |
| In the UK, health and safety regulations are a | | | | Why? You will love this. |
| favourite tool for raising fear. The intention behind | | | | Because young children may be out and about, |
| these regulations is supposedly to create a safer | | | | and notice these small toys high up in a big |
| and healthier environment for people to work and | | | | vehicle, and be tempted to run out into the street |
| live in. | | | | and confront the vehicle until the vehicle hands |
| This kind of legislation works very well in areas | | | | over the toys to them. This is of course |
| where employers still exploit employees and it has | | | | assuming that your children are unable to |
| been used to create smoke-free buildings. We are | | | | understand that it would not be safe to run into |
| still not protected from the odour of heavy | | | | the road in front of a big vehicle. That is how |
| smokers that commute, but at least their habits | | | | cuddly toys became a serious health and safety |
| have been regulated and we can have "clean" | | | | risk. |
| meals and workplaces. | | | | Can you imagine how this kind of publicity |
| But there have been instances where these | | | | improved the public image of the company |
| regulations were used to create situations that | | | | involved? |
| are beyond belief. And the scary part is that | | | | By the way, if you think I am making these |
| those people on the receiving end expressed their | | | | examples up as I go along, search the web and |
| dissatisfaction about the applications of the | | | | you will find them yourself. |
| regulations, but they did nothing to take the | | | | There was the case where the Metropolitan police |
| perpetrators of the decisions to task. | | | | was charged with breaching safety laws. The |
| The underlying belief is that when anyone in a | | | | reason for this was that in two separate incidents |
| position of perceived authority tells you to do or | | | | officers fell through roofs while chasing criminals. |
| not do something, you are powerless and you | | | | Talk about shooting yourself in the foot! |
| have to do it, whether it is complete nonsense or | | | | And then there was the council that banned |
| not. That amounts to giving away your personal | | | | backstroke during busy times in the local |
| power to another person and buying into the | | | | swimming pool to avoid collisions. |
| illusion of fear that is created. | | | | Visitors to Britain in the summer are always |
| For example, there was the pensioner who | | | | impressed by the beautiful hanging baskets that |
| travelled to town by bus to buy a tin of paint so | | | | brighten up lampposts in city centres with lovely |
| that he could decorate a wall at his house. When | | | | flowers. This is no longer the case in Suffolk, |
| he returned, the bus driver would not let him onto | | | | where these baskets were banned on the |
| the bus. Why? Because this brand new, tightly | | | | grounds that they may fall on pedestrians. There |
| sealed tin of paint just might, as if by magic, fly | | | | has not been one such accident in the more than |
| open the moment the pensioner sets foot on the | | | | two thousand years of history of Britain, and the |
| bus, and the paint may be splattered all over the | | | | first one will not be in Suffolk, that's for sure. |
| slow-moving bus, and that might pose a threat to | | | | And a final example: |
| other passengers in terms of health and safety | | | | A County Council wanted to install thirty electronic |
| regulations. This was reported in a newspaper, but | | | | speed indicators. These are electronic signboards |
| was the bus driver told that he misjudged the | | | | that show the speed of oncoming drivers. The |
| situation completely and made a travesty of the | | | | intention is for drivers to realise that they are |
| regulations? Did the pensioner get an apology? | | | | exceeding the speed limit, so that they can slow |
| I once attended a birthday party where the | | | | down. The tricky bit is that the electronic speed |
| boisterous six-year-old birthday boy jumped onto | | | | indicators can only be installed by somebody going |
| a table and down to the floor again, and his | | | | up a ladder. Now, before you can go up a ladder, |
| mother warned him not to do it, "because of | | | | you must comply with the Health and Safety |
| health and safety" - she actually said that. | | | | Executive's Working at Height Regulations 2005 |
| There is an English hospital where a box with wool | | | | (amended 2007) which are based on the EU's |
| and knitting needles was made available to both | | | | Working at height Directive (2001). |
| patients and visitors to while the time away. They | | | | Huh? |
| would knit small squares and hand them to the | | | | Council workers are not allowed to put up the |
| nurses. The squares were sewn together by | | | | electronic speed indicators because none of the |
| charity workers, and turned into blankets that | | | | council staff have received ladder training. Allowing |
| were distributed by local charities. | | | | a person without ladder training to use a ladder will |
| Wonderful idea. Until the health and safety person | | | | result in a £5000 fine (and 14 people had |
| came to hear about it and banned the knitting | | | | died after falling off ladders over a period of a |
| needles on the basis that the needles are too | | | | year). This is far more important than the |
| sharp to use safely. I have been using knitting | | | | £60 fine for speeding (which resulted in 350 |
| needles since I can remember, and so have my | | | | road deaths over the same period). |
| ancestors. I have not been able to find a single | | | | So, what is plan B? Get the local police to put the |
| instance of where a knitter was injured by a | | | | signs up - they have had ladder training. The police |
| sharp knitting needle, or, heaven help us, death by | | | | put op three of the cameras, and then went on |
| knitting. | | | | to find the roofs that crooks normally run on to |
| Has this official even seen a knitting needle before | | | | escape, so that the roofs can be fixed. |
| banning them? And what did the hospital staff, | | | | On to plan C - the fire brigade. However, the fire |
| visitors and patients do? They expressed their | | | | fighters are either playing hard to get, or they are |
| dismay with the situation and accepted it - | | | | too busy saving cats from trees. As a result the |
| because of the belief that you do not challenge | | | | remaining 27 electronic speed indicators have not |
| authority, even when the figure of authority has | | | | been installed yet. I wonder where one gets |
| clearly lost their marbles. The same people that | | | | ladder training. I don't think that a lamppost is too |
| criticised and then accepted this decision are | | | | high for me? |
| probably surprised that good people in Zimbabwe | | | | Do you see how we allow people to shape our |
| have been accepting a malicious dictatorship for a | | | | view of the world? And we simply buy into it |
| whole generation. Guess where such a dictatorship | | | | rather than question their judgement and motives. |
| starts? | | | | And who should we blame - the people that |
| Then there were the dustmen who wanted to | | | | create our realities? No. We need to take |
| liven up a not so pleasant job by putting cuddly | | | | responsibility for our own actions and views, and |
| toys in their vehicles. We have all seen these toys | | | | we should have the courage to question other |
| hanging from the rear-view mirrors of vehicles or | | | | people's actions rather than just shake our heads |
| seated on the dashboard. The managers of one | | | | and accept whatever they say because we think |
| waste management company did not like the | | | | that is the only option available to us. |