Last Saturday I was called to a very grim situation on the Royal canal. An X RNLI lifeboat was sunk just after benagh bridge so I quickly set about refloating it and keeping the pollution to next to zero. I spent the next day salvaging the engines and limped into Richmond harbour. Thinking this was a maritime emergency asked WWI could we use the dry dock. This boat had a four inch hole in it and although was temporarily repaired was not fit for navigation. We were told NO due to health and safety revision the dry dock was closed. Even though they had used it themselves recently. Not having time on our hands we were forced to motor to Albert lock at very slow speed. Six hours from Richmond to Albert lock. We were not trying to use this dry dock to keep costs down. This boat and the people on it were in serious peril. If this organisation takes it self serious and wants to stick to its core values it as I know it does. We need to ask WWI some serious questions about how it manages the facility's and It's water levels. The Royal is closed the Erne is heading the same way and WWI are run like a communist dictatorship who will not answer to any person or situation. They were certainly not thinking about my health or safety
Yours sincerely
John Connon junior
Mv Rambler

Perhaps it is unreasonable to blame Waterways Ireland for using "health and safety" as an excuse for some strange decisions. Waterways Ireland are a government body and as such are hampered hindered and obstructed in everything that they do because of the imperative that they obey and comply with a complete raft of beaucratic bull including not in some small measure, the health and safety legislation. Every sane person supports and understands health and safety, but it is also important to note that the very application of these health n safety rules actually contributes to an increase in danger in day to day terms as this poster has now discovered. The complete lack of flexibility in these rules endangers life and limb daily, but due to us living in a country governed by Brussels, with no local common sense applied, then there you have it my friend (you can drown but Government bodies cannot be expected breach health n safety laws to save you). This is the times we live in today. This is why Japan india and China are the emerging powerhouses and the developed European Countries are seeing the unemployment figures climbing daily. I have always found WI to be most helpful and generous in their co-operation and I,m sure that if their willing and helpful staff were not bound hand and foot in red tape on the issue of the drydock, then they would do all they could for you. As a self employed operator, I understand your frustration completely, but I see the blame for this farce lying with Government ministers who meekly comply with each new whim that emerges from the EU parliament.

Robert, while the anti-EU diatribe is amusing, though ill informed, the problems lies not with the legislation, but with the interpretation of it. Ireland is a very litigious country with a history of very expensive payouts for trivial injuries. This is not as common in Europe. As a result health and safety legislation is evaluated in a most conservative way bordering on the illogical. But the blame lies not with "eurupe", but with our personal injuries legislation and the legal and insurance processes. Most of "heath and safety" decision are not taken by measured minds, they are taken on the advice of insurers, whose only interest is to minimise claims.


Dave



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 17/04/2012 13:26 by Dave McCabe.