ScillyOnLine

shoestrung · Joined: 21 Nov 2005 Posts: 117 Location: Scilly

Over on the Scillywebcam guest book, they are bemoaning the fact that swimming is no longer allowed on the Samson Picnic. Is Health and Safety going mad on the islands, are we losing our freedoms, or are we and our children benefitting from the added protection that these laws give us????
Are there any specific circumstances where we as a community have either benfitted or suffered due to H&S?

muffin · Joined: 24 Jul 2006 Posts: 37

Health and Safety rules have, in my experience, gone too far everywhere in the UK and in this sad age of litigation and blame, people and organisations are terrified to allow the people they are 'responsible' for take part in virtually any activity that carries the slightest risk in case they get sued in event of an accident and as a result,are made penniless and barred from practising their profession. One just has to view those ghastly 'no win, no fee' ads on the television to understand what a greed-driven, miserable society we live in.Being alive in itself carries risks-s**t happens- people sometimes seem unwilling to accept that accidents do and will occur. I am very glad that my children are now grown and experienced a full and varied childhood.But as far as I can recall (and I may be having a 'senior' moment here) my children weren't allowed to swim on the Samson Picnic 20 years ago- paddle, yes, swim, no,which I can understand as there simply wouldn't be enough supervisors to adequately mind everyone.Do you mean they have banned paddling now? In which case, I truly despair......

John Poulson · Joined: 23 Jul 2006 Posts: 15 Location: Poom

Its arguable the stress induced by the increasingly complex H&S regs far out ways any of their dubious benefits.

So there.