Saturday 7 September 2013

The Inevitable Result Of ‘Elf N’ Safety, Innit?' Culture…

A paramedic waited in her car for 10 minutes while a man who had been trampled by cows struggled to breathe – because she thought it was too dangerous to go and help him on foot.
This story is garnering a great deal of comment – not a lot of it favourable to the emergency services – yet it’s inevitable when you consider that rules and procedures now guide everything and there’s no room for deviation any more:
The ambulance service said that after carrying out a “dynamic risk assessment” the first paramedic on the scene decided she should wait until she could drive the response car in.
East of England Ambulance Service spokesman Gary Sanderson said: “The reason for this was to ensure her safety and the patient’s at all times.
“The response car by her side would be used if she had to retreat to it immediately if the cows in the field became agitated further.
“Our clinician did what every member of staff would do.”
It’s sad to think that’s the truth. But since the aim seems to be to stamp out all instances of individual heroism, it’s not too surprising:
A railway worker who rescued a disabled woman who had toppled on to a train track could be sacked for breaching safety procedures.
The man, along with three other people, hauled the wheelchair-bound woman to safety after she fell about 4ft at Southend Central rail station just minutes before a train was due to arrive.
The fact that they may have saved her life is utterly irrelevant. They didn't follow the rules, they acted without thinking to help another human being, and that cannot be allowed:
A c2c spokesman said: “We have strict rules regarding correct safety procedures and an employee has been suspended while our investigations into the incident continue.”
Hopefully the outcry (and the potential RMT involvement) will make them think again. But the chilling effect will linger on far after the MSM has moved on to something else...

8 comments:

Uncle Badger said...

Hard to imagine a Grace Darling these days, isn't it?

Joe Public said...

And to think the railway company could have garnered massive positve publicity by praising the bravery & selflessness of their employee who rescued a customer!

[Then next week quietly 'offered' him additional 'Elf N' Safety training]

Anonymous said...

I feel that society has been infiltrated by alien robots : I cannot comprehend the whys and wherefores of the tick box brigade. All I know is that they are intent on eradicating all the virtues of humanity : selflessness, courage, initiative, kindness.

John Pickworth said...

"... after carrying out a “dynamic risk assessment” the first paramedic on the scene decided she should wait until she could drive the response car in."

My ex-wife would undertake the same dynamic risk assessment before going out for the evening and just like this paramedic would still wear the wrong blasted shoes.

Tolkein said...

Blame the Health & Safety Executive for this. This is what happens after they successfully sued the Met for liability after a policeman was injured in a roof top pursuit of a criminal.. If that railway worker had been injured as a consequence of his bravery the company could have been sued unless they could demonstrate that he had done so in disobedience of company instruction.

JuliaM said...

"Hard to imagine a Grace Darling these days, isn't it?"

I learned about Grace Darling in school. I'll bet you a pound to a penny no-one after me ever has...

"And to think the railway company could have garnered massive positve publicity by praising the bravery & selflessness of their employee who rescued a customer!"

Indeed! I wonder sometimes about the competence of PR people...

"My ex-wife would undertake the same dynamic risk assessment before going out for the evening and just like this paramedic would still wear the wrong blasted shoes."

Heh!

Furor Teutonicus said...

Don't know if you got the news about the hospital shooting here in Berlin last week?

Any way. Shots fired, (RIGHT under my ward window during breakfast).

What happens, The entire ER staff grab stretchers and go running towards the scene, complete with three policemen who just happened to be in the ER at the time taking statements regarding a traffic accident.

E.R teams, still not knowing if the shooter was "on scene", picked up the injured, (Blood everywhere, not even gloves, they had no time to pick them up,) and took him into the E.R Operation room, where they saved his life (Head shot).

Imagine that in the U.K???

John Pickworth said...

Imagine that in the U.K???

I'm struggling to.