I’m hoping to spend a lot more time out patrolling the countryside this year, and so I have been on the lookout for a new pair of boots. And given the wet winter we have had, I’ve been looking quite hard at the Hi-Tec waterproof range. So these last few weeks I’ve been testing out […]
Category archives: Health and Safety
Prepare yourselves for the crazy spider story season
It’s that time of year again, when the media warms up for a summer of ‘False Widow’ scare stories. Not for nothing is Steatoda nobilis known as the Daily Mail Spider. For although it’s more-or-less harmless to most people, it gets rolled out every single year with the same old lame tales of impossible injuries […]
Lone walker: trouble?
Another steaming pile of news about ‘health and safety gone mad’. And for once it might even be right. This week in the Daily Mail and the Telegraph a seemingly nutty story breaks about Telford and Wrekin Council. It seems that David Ottley, Telford & Wrekin’s sports and recreation manager, wrote in a letter to […]
Health and safety… gone mad?
We’ve heard it all before… health and safety gone mad! Council bureaucrats stifle fun for little Johnny. And all that. It’s a tedious debate for all concerned. Usually the argument against health and safety is that common sense should prevail. And of course it should. Really. But that means common sense both on the part […]
A martial arts film with a difference. Chainsaws!
And if you thought a day-glo kilt was trivial – just wait until you see this! The Ranger doesn’t recall any instruction in this kind of technique when he was learning. More’s the pity. Still, there’s always the possibility that it wasn’t real. Mmm, kickback…
Protective equipment for everyone
Idling through the latest equipment catalogue of Swedish industrial clothing firm Blåkläder, The Ranger was delighted to find a hi-viz kilt: No, it’s deadly serious. Features include: Two loose nail pockets, can be placed in the front bellow pockets Two back pockets with bellows Rule pocket with pen pocket and knife-holder Hammer loop Leg pocket […]
Killed by a falling tree: what are the chances?
The Ranger worked as a Tree Officer for some months not too long ago, and got quite an insight into the arcane world of TPOs and irate householders. A bit different from being a real Ranger, where pretty much everyone is glad to see you. A tree officer often has the thankless task of trying […]
HSE: “stormtrooper of health and safety fascism”
Simon Jenkins in the Guardian wades in again with the voice of common sense – this time in an article called “Those who walk under trees are at risk from these terrorising inspectors” he’s commiserating with the poor old National Trust who had a tree fall over on their land at Dunham Massey, and are […]
The Darwin Awards feature Scottish snakes
Oh dear, where’s St Patrick when you need him? Isn’t he done over in Ireland yet? It seems that in 2005 an unfortunate hillwalker called Robert McGuire was bitten by two adders while holidaying on the Isle of Arran. He spent six days in hospital. Pretty unusual – although the adder is the only snake […]
Campaign for Real Risk
The Health and Safety Commission launches a campaign – no surprises there. But this one’s a bit different. It’s under the provocative title ‘Get a Life’ and invites us to …focus on real risks ” those that cause real harm and suffering ” and stop concentrating effort on trivial risks and petty health and safety… […]