Jumping over pits.

Can't we just close this by saying that it is something that should be discouraged, but recognise that people will break the rules in place for their own safety. After all, if something had happened then the lad would only have himself to blame...

Regards,

Dan

 

Was about to say the same thing. I mean, who doesn't know that these were *highly* dangerous things to do in their time, and are exactly what HSE rules and practices are supposed to be for, to allow you to do the job while staying safe (rather than simply getting in the way of doing the job period).

Jumping over a pit might seem like small beer to some in comparison, but as someone also pointed out, visiting someone with a broken back is the best medicine for that sort of attitude. If the guy in question has learned from this, all the better. If he hasn't, c'est la vie.

The most concering thing in the thread is the number of people who seem to think that the picture doesn't 'tell the whole story', as if somehow he isn't actually crossing the pit (or they want to split hairs and claim stepping is any way safer than jumping/hopping).

And as for the MHR, the financial implications of a law suit over something like a broken back do not bear thinking about.

 

It's not so simple from a HSE point of view. If it was proven that the written rules were regularly or implicitly flouted, or the person was not made well aware of the danger, it becomes a problem not only for the individual but for the railway.

 

=; Can't people just drop this? This forum is supposed to be for the collective enjoyment of heritage railways, not for people to point fingers and complain about something that to all intense and purposes isn't really important!

I am sure the MHR does have safety practices inplace concerning this sort of behaviour, and I am sure that this individual was penalised for bending the rules. People from the MHR aren't going to visit this site and suddenly think "Oh christ, we don't have any safety regulations and this Jo Blogs seems to think we do need them, maybe we should do something about it!" The fact of the matter is they probably do have safety measures and that this person just made a mistake! End of story!

People sitting in their chairs at home that are prepared to crucify people when it isn't their place to do so is one of the most frustrating things in the world! I have nothing to do with the MHR but I cannot help but feel sorry for them with all this caffuffle building up over an mistake that has probably already been dealt with, and isn't anything to do with anyone except the MHR's safety officer...lets just drop it an enjoy our collective love of heritage railways, yea?

I think a moderator needs to lock this perminantly!

 

I partially agree.


This thread will pay use to people who work on the railways, after all, this could be used as real time examples of what may happen if you slip when crossing a pit.

 

The point is that its not against the rules in some railways. I personally being vertically challenged cannot and would never attempt to step over a pit. However those I know over 6 footers who have at times done so.

I think Glyn set out to find out what happened at other railways and not to poke the finger at MHR. To date I have not seen a post that says the actions taken were against their rules. I know 2 railways where it would not have been against the rules. Inadvisable but not against the rules. Doesn't this seem to smack of H & S gone mad? Short people like me wont do it. Tall people will. Some in the middle might risk it and they are the ones that get hurt. However we all need to take responsibility for our actions.

When I think of the dangerous things I have done in the past. Going down old tin and copper mines where all the wooden props have long since rotted away. We need some risk otherwise we don't progress. For heavens sake living is a risk. I spend many a day with a bomb which is what a steam engine is that's a risk.

 

Not wishing to prolong the debate about the why's and the wherefore's, but the copy of the shed safety guidelines I was given by Ropley MPD (as I have previously said, more years ago than I care to remember) states that pits should not be stepped/jumped over. Anyhow, what has happened has happened, and I don't see how ruminating over it on a discussion forum is going to significantly impact on it. Action within the railway may do, but not debate like this.

Ulitmately Admin asked a question, which has been partially answered in that some people have outlined what their rulebook provides. Its just a shame you have to work through a lot of nonsense to find out the answers to his question.

 

lol at this and also I'm sure the person who's arguing this is in fact the person stepping over the pit in this photo so thats why he's arguing with you!

 

It gets worse actually, I was once explicitly told that if I continued to allocate a particular job to the people it was suited to - tall strong men, I would be putting the company at risk of a discrimination claim. But at least in that case, it would have been possible to modify the job environment to be do-able by all shapes and sizes, but you can't exactly narrow a pit for safety reasons (and if you did you would get a counter claim from fat bastards who could no longer be fitters!). The solution for the manager? - you simply *have* to pull up anybody who jumped the pit, whether they are the jolly green giant or not.

 

This thread has run its course, so its time to lock it up again.

The image on the MHR website has been edited to remove the offending person.

The majority of the posts that have been made since I unlocked the thread have been well thought out, many thanks for that, with just a few ill thought out posts. H&S is something we all have to deal with, not just on our local railway but in every day life.

Many thanks to all those who have sent a PM to me on the subject, I could add 101 other stories that I have, but that would cause a riot.

Enjoy the forum.

Brian