A classic example of Health and Safety at work

[mrmcfister]

[jimslip]

Like all these stories you always wonder if there is a hidden agenda. For a start I cannot see how the company's insurance could ever be held liable for an outcome to a person with what is patently a "Pre-existing condition", which is a term that ALL insurance companies can use to avoid paying out on any kind of claim. You cannot get more, "Pre-existing" than terminal cancer!

What I suspect is that they didn't want some guy who is dying "pooping the party" and spoiling the Christmas cheer, so they thought of every possible way of keeping him out. Also, he might have been hated by everyone, who knows?

All the same, it reminds of the film, "The Beach", when those horrible hippies, shove the guy who has been mortally injured by a shark, outside the camp, because his moans are ruining their fun.

[Peter]

It could be that someone who is off sick isn't covered by the company's insurance, therefore turning up to the party would make them an uninsured risk. No doubt if the christmas tree fell over and took his leg off, he'd want some compensation.

[andy at handiwork]

Peter wrote: '...if the christmas tree fell over and took his leg off, he'd want some compensation.'

Who wouldn't?

[Peter]

andy at handiwork wrote:

> Peter wrote: '...if the christmas tree fell over and took his
> leg off, he'd want some compensation.'
>
> Who wouldn't?

The point is if he was an uninsured guest the payout would come directly from the firms coffers, rather than their insurance company paying up.

The only real job I ever had had the same principle, only staff members were allowed at the xmas (and mid-summer) parties. We all know how those lovely insurance companies like to find any loophole to avoid paying out.

[andy at handiwork]

Apparently millions of people didn't get injured at work last week, weren't exposed un-necessarily to toxic substances, didn't have badly maintained machinery explode in their faces, weren't disabled whilst shopping, weren't expected to put themselves in harm's way for their employer nor were confronted by a whole legion of everyday potential hazards that could affect the rest of their lives. I blame H & S.

[jimslip]

Peter wrote:

> It could be that someone who is off sick isn't covered by the
> company's insurance, therefore turning up to the party would
> make them an uninsured risk. No doubt if the christmas tree
> fell over and took his leg off, he'd want some compensation.

I expect a manager at Siemens imagined he might end up seeing an ad like this on TV one day. A bloke sitting by a fire place with one leg in plaster and his neck in a brace,

"I had terminal cancer and my works invited me to their Xmas party. Someone had carelessly left a mince pie with whipped cream on the floor in front me, which I slipped on, subsequently crashing into the 15ft high Xmas tree, which had been festooned with cheap Chinese fairy lights. Both I and the tree went cascading to the floor, the lights short circuiting leaving me juddering, crazily, as I was electrocuted. Finally I got up and stood there still smoking with my hair standing on end, covered in sparking and crackling fairy lights, whilst the rest of the staff laughed and cheered drunkenly singing, "Burn baby burn", thinking it was, "High jinx" on my part, which is was most clearly NOT! I phoned Claims Direct and got a cheque for ?2.8 million!"!wink!

[Sam Slater]

I've said it before and I'll say it again: don't blame health and safety. It's people's greed, claiming and suing for everything imaginable, that scared insurance companies into making clients provide more and more safety guards.

[David Johnson]

"I blame H & S."


....and New Labour, of course.

Personally, I am delighted that the country has in David Cameron, a leader that is "batting for Britain", "showing the British bulldog spirit", "standing up for what's right" and telling "Jonny Foreigner to back off".

Having given Jonny Foreigner a bloody nose in Brussels, I look forward to him:

1. Getting rid of all this EU inspired Health and Safety nonsense as per this story.
2. Take a hacksaw to EU employment law which gives workers their rights. How can it be fair that employees can have rights and self-employed people can have so little?
3. Cut all the red tape that alongside Jonny Foreigner, has prevented The Dearest Leader Cam Ron Jun Il from being 110% successful with our country's economy.
How can it be fair that employees in the public sector have the Life of Riley, while businesses everywhere are hidebound by regulation?
4. Dispensing with child poverty targets. How can it be fair that we talk about poverty in the UK? Haven't these critics seen programmes about Bombay slums?
5. Dismantling the NHS. How can it be fair that a fit 18 year old is paying taxes to support a wealthy old age pensioner who is spending most of her last days in hospital?

Thank Heavens, the Naivest Deputy Leader Cleggie Jun Il is able to support the Dearest Leader in meeting these objectives.

I can barely wipe the tears of joy from my face. Oh happiest day! Oh happiest country. This truly must be the most wondrous place in the entire world.

D

[mrmcfister]

Fucking hell ,Jim that's great... you ought to be in the film industry!