Beaurocracy Gone Mad ? Gawd Help Us !

[Bizarra]

Now gardai are targeted by the HSA quangocrats

Phoenix Park top brass told their officers' little ears might get cold

By JEROME REILLY Exclusive

Sunday June 27 2010

The State's health and safety agency has decreed that gardai should wear two hats while fighting crime -- so they don't catch cold in chilly weather.

Senior gardai have described the directive from the Health and Safety Authority (HSA) -- a quango targeted for cuts by An Bord Snip -- as "ridiculous".

The HSA says that as well as the standard uniform cap with garda insignia, officers should also wear a woollen, beanie-style liner underneath -- to keep their ears warm.

When incredulous top brass from the Garda headquarters in the Phoenix Park rejected the call from the HSA, the agency wrote back, demanding that the force provide a costly "risk-assessment" document on the issue.

The risk assessment would have required the preparation of medical reports by health consultants with expertise in ailments such as Bell's palsy, which the HSA claimed in their letters to Garda HQ had been "anecdotally linked" to exposure to cold.

Senior gardai are bewildered by the avalanche of correspondence from the HSA, the same agency that earlier this year ordered a garage owner -- who works on his own -- to remove calendars with photos of topless women or face possible censure.

Following a visit to his Limerick garage from an inspector, the HSA claimed that the photographs were "displays of pornographic material at the place of work", which is not allowed.

Last year, the An Bord Snip report by UCD economist Colm McCarthy recommended that the HSA and the National Employment Rights Authority should merge into one Work Place Inspectorate.

Government agencies that are under threat of merger or abolition as a result of McCarthy's damning exposure of the waste and duplication in the public service are working furiously to justify their existence.

It means that other Government bodies, industries, retailers and business people are being bombarded with what many might consider frivolous demands and directives. The result is a marked increase in red tape and bureaucracy.

Just two weeks ago, the Sunday Independent revealed that Irish soldiers, who pledge to go to war in the service of their country if required, are not allowed to mow the lawns around their barracks because of health and safety concerns.

However, the new move by the HSA to stop gardai getting chilled by wearing two hats risks making a laughing stock of the entire force.

The saga began in April 2009, when the HSA received correspondence from one of its inspectors.

He wrote to the safety officer of An Garda Siochana, pointing out that gardai were often on duty inspecting goods vehicles in roadside checks and so were often exposed to the elements.

"For safety reasons, this can expose the gardai to severe cold-wind conditions, for which the uniform hat is clearly not suitable," the letter said.

It led to a tart response from the force, detailing the provision of new waterproof jackets to gardai and explaining that all gardai were issued with a waterproof cap cover.

Rejecting the HSA directive the letter added: "Current policy dictates that the uniform cap remains the same style and specification as in previous times."

Despite this, the HSA didn't stop there. In recent weeks, it responded with a further reminder to An Garda Siochana, pointing out that in other jurisdictions, including the UK, officers were supplied with warm hats as part of their standard uniform.

"In some applications, it may be possible to wear a hat liner underneath the uniform cap to protect the back and sides of the head from wind chill," said the HSA.

The letter also requested a written risk assessment on the issue.

"I would also be interested to know if issues such as Bell's palsy are considered as part of your risk assessment," the HSA letter said, adding: "The cause of the nerve irritation associated with Bell's palsy is unknown, but anecdotally, exposure to cold is a frequently cited cause."

- JEROME REILLY Exclusive

Sunday Independent

[Raistlin]

There are all wimps, the boys in the Met aren't afraid of a bit of cold.....

We used to beat people to keep warm... Allegedly

[Bizarra]

There are all wimps, the boys in the Met aren't afraid of a bit of cold.....

We used to beat people to keep warm... Allegedly

Ah Yes ! I'm sure that is universal, but the HSA don't know that..................Officially

[bothwell_buyer]

so does this mean that shooting suspected criminal whilst not wearing a wooly hat will become an offence under HSA regulations??

[hertsnminds]

It will probably increase the number of ambulance chaser claims in the same category as "I was given the wrong ladder" and "My mum didn't give me a string vest to wear or sew a name tag in my jumper" if an officer's ears drop below the regulation temperature.

[Bizarra]

It will probably increase the number of ambulance chaser claims in the same category as "I was given the wrong ladder" and "My mum didn't give me a string vest to wear or sew a name tag in my jumper" if an officer's ears drop below the regulation temperature.

With the crass stupidity of Bureaucracy today, I wouldn't be surprised in the least :ffs:

We have 1/2 the Army claiming { !} for impaired hearing , coz they weren't supplied with sound mufflers 20 odd years ago

[Raistlin]

It will probably increase the number of ambulance chaser claims in the same category as "I was given the wrong ladder" and "My mum didn't give me a string vest to wear or sew a name tag in my jumper" if an officer's ears drop below the regulation temperature.

With the crass stupidity of Bureaucracy today, I wouldn't be surprised in the least

We have 1/2 the Army claiming { !} for impaired hearing , coz they weren't supplied with sound mufflers 20 odd years ago

What was that... :D

[Jan&tone]

Sounds a bit like the latest EU directive - no eggs in dozens any more - sell by weight instead.

so how much do 12 eggs weigh???

sssimples, put 12 eggs in a box, sell by weight only - still 12 in a box, but more expensive!