Fire fighters and a distressed bird
What do 25 fire fighters and a distressed bird have to do with health and safety? Perhaps you are wondering what do 25 fire fighters and a distressed bird have in common at all. In a weird health and safety story there were 25 fire fighters on scene yesterday to rescue a bird. The bird was in a three foot deep pond in the suburbs.
What makes this seem more like a joke without a punch line is that even with 25 fire fighters on scene there was a debate over health and safety protocols limiting the firemen from actually getting into the water. It took Adam Briddock of the bird centre to actually get the bird out of the water. It was considered too dangerous for the actual trained rescuers to go into the pond. All they could do was stand and watch as someone without proper training went in to get the bird.
This story comes on the heels of myths being busted this week by the Health and Safety Executive. It is also another story that helps hold up the story that there is too much red tape in the safety and health regulations for proper safety and health to be conducted. The debate will undoubtedly be fuelled by such a story as 25 firemen and one bird, with a bird centre volunteer in the mix for the full rescue of one poor little creature struggling in a local suburban pond.
