Health and Safety Fears Prevent Couple from Tending Flowers
For more than a decade, a couple has tended the flowers at a Weymouth railway station. Unfortunately, due to recent health and safety concerns the couple is no longer able to take care of the flowers. There are fears that the couple, Brian and Janna Coomber, will endanger themselves or become hurt if they use their ladder. The ladder is several years old. Although the ladder itself could be replaced, the couple are beginning to age so health and safety concerns are also about their ability to climb any ladder safely.
The flowers were placed in the boxes by themselves, but the volunteer’s age is the biggest factor stopping them from tending the flowers anymore. The railway station does not want to have an issue should either individual fall due to their age or ladder. For the Comber’s it is saddening and upsetting that they have been told they are no longer allowed to help with the flowers.
The safety and health rules stopping the couple from continuing is part of the Health and Safety Act of 1974 and the 2008 height regulations amendment, which states that anyone working at heights needs to be able to do so without issue. In other words, working at heights requires the individual to be able to handle being on the ladder or at the height, but more that the equipment and situation does not create a preventable incident. This provision ensures that if there is real danger, the situation will be corrected to alleviate the danger.
