We received many letters from HSW readers and IIRSM member alike over the festive break. It's always great to hear your views and my aim for 2008 is to build an online health and safety community that we can all be proud to be part of.
At the end of last year there were calls to scrap Police Community Support Officers (PCSOs) following the death of a ten-year-old boy. Many readers had lots to say, as relayed in this very blog just last month. However, Geoff Lloyd, Deputy Chairman of the IIRSM Board of Governors, wrote to me recently with his view. Here is his letter in full.
"As the retired Head of Safety for the Metropolitan Police I felt I had to raise some points to consider.
"Firstly, the Health and Safety at Work, etc Act 1974 was not written with emergency services in mind, particularly section 3. In fact, police did not come under the umbrella of health and safety law until The Police (Health and Safety) Act 1997 was enacted. I know that the Metropolitan Police Service does not train its officers to carry out water rescues and officers are not required to swim.
"Concerning the case of the two PCSOs, I understand that the officers did not just stand and watch the little boy drowning. When the officers arrived at the lake there was no sight of the boy in the water. Apparently some anglers who were sitting on the bank told the officers about it but had done nothing.
"Perhaps we should also consider and ask where were the parents when this tragedy happened? Why had they let two small children play near water without supervision?
"As I compose this letter, the radio news is reporting of a small child killed on the highway while riding a petrol 100cc-engine quad bike while following her father’s car at 7pm, in the dark, down an unlit country lane. Rather than debate whether PCSOs are fit for purpose, perhaps we need to debate whether some parents are."
Geoff Lloyd FIIRSM CFIOSH, Deputy Chairman, IIRSM
Do you agree with Geoff? Post your comments in our discussion forum and get your voice heard. Click here to visit to our forum.
