Health and Safety.
Say these three words to most people and you may well be ‘rewarded’ with mutterings about hanging baskets being banned in high streets and poles being banned in fire stations or some such shite.
Don’t get me wrong – I dislike excessive bureaucracy and State interference in everyday life as much as any other concerned individual of a Libertarian bent, but the two examples I’ve given above are just myths that have grown out of misreported and isolated incidents.
The reality is bad enough without the press or special interest groups making it sound worse than it already is.
However, it appears that private businesses are determined to carry on where the already over-zealous Health & Safety Executive has left off:
Thousands of workers have been told they must reverse into parking spaces at their offices under a ‘draconian’ health and safety regime imposed by Britain’s second-largest power supplier.
The decree is the top ‘golden rule’ that the 20,000 staff of Scottish and Southern Energy (SSE) must follow under threat of disciplinary action.
This seems to me to be setting a very dangerous precedent when an already over-regulated society imposes further regulations on itself over and above those required by law.
Indeed, two of the main bodies concerned with safety – including the H&S Executive itself – don’t even acknowledge the need for reversing into parking spaces:
The measures have angered some employees, who say they are absurdly stringent. The Government’s Health and Safety Executive sets no guidelines about parking, while the Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents said: ‘In general it is preferable to allow the driver a choice depending on the car park layout or circumstance.’
And SSE’s response?
Reversing into a static parking bay is safer than reversing out into a road or car park, which may have traffic and pedestrian movement which you cannot easily see.
Yes, it’s their property and they have a perfect right to impose what regulations they like on their employees as long as they’re within the law, but where does this end?
It’s not just our government that is becoming increasingly authoritarian, but now, it seems, other organizations that impact on everyday life are following suit.
Just the first two words of the last line on one of SSE’s safety notices say it all, really:
No debate…
Just accept what you’re told and don’t bloody argue.
However, to appreciate the real impact of the last decade or so of creeping authoritarianism, read some of the comments on the story below it, many of which see nothing wrong in SSE’s actions.
Not only are we losing our basic freedoms and individual sense of responsibility but there seem to be many people who welcome this gross infringement of their liberties and unsolicited intrusion into their lives.
Reversing to park is mandatory in military establishments. In event of emergency the parking area can be cleared far more quickly and it makes good sense.
- John, Axminster, 17/1/2010 12:39
I always reverse into parking spaces for the simple reason that it’s easier to see what’s around you when you’re driving back out again. I think there is some sort of instinct with pedestrians that compels them to walk behind a reversing vehicle. That rule makes perfect sense to me!
- Rose, Ireland, 17/1/2010 1:28
When I was taught to drive, over 60 years ago, I was told never to reverse out onto a road into the path of oncoming traffic, but always reverse into a driveway or parking area so you could drive forward when you departed. It is a good driving habit I employ today by always reversing into a parking space. Perhaps some ‘draconian’ rules are just common sense!
- Mike, St. Merryn, Cornwall, 17/1/2010 9:37
I’m afraid my reaction to these drones is that if you can’t reverse out of a parking space quickly and safely then you shouldn’t be fucking driving in the first place…
But, back to the SSE.
Look at that poster again…
See that last ‘golden rule’?
Accept challenges
That’s exactly what people are being conditioned not to do.
Very soon, we’ll no longer be able to think for ourselves because we’ll either have forgotten how to or we’ll be too scared to. Personal choice, decision-making and judgment will disappear in a flood of rules, regulations, laws and guidelines and then there’ll be no challenges left.
And no debate.
Filed under: Current affairs, Libertarianism, Total and utter bollocks, Total fucking bollocks Tagged: | authoritarian, Health and Safety Executive, Libertarian, myths, reverse parking, Scottish and Southern Energy
I see this as a failure of management – where’s the head of department to say ‘Actually, thanks awfully for your advice, H&S wallahs, but I think I’ll reserve my disciplinary action for things that really affect the company – fiddling expenses, chronic absenteeism, and poking the tea lady/tea boy in the broom cupboard on company time. You see, I’ve found that treating my staff like adults works better in the long run. Off you go, now…’?
“Not only are we losing our basic freedoms and individual sense of responsibility but there seem to be many people who welcome this gross infringement of their liberties…”
The sheep are happier when they can see the shepherd…
[...] No debate – it’s not just the government that’s authoritarian – [...]
Great article, Steve. Tis very true that a barrage of H&S has placed a lily in the liver of vast swathes of the UK population.
Once the idea is installed in the minds of morons, they instinctively look for risk where none exists.
The funny thing is, although I rail against H&S myself at times, I know that my kids are going to benefit greatly in the future as their competitors will be frightened of risk in all aspects of life, whereas I teach mine a more considered view.
I should hate H&S, but secretly it’s on my side.
Quite a tricky one really.
The comments on the original article are accurate, it is more sensible to reverse into a parking bay.
As you said, one could argue that how a private company chooses to regulate its employees on its own property should be its own business, especially from a libertarian point of view I woud have thought.
Your statement
“This seems to me to be setting a very dangerous precedent when an already over-regulated society imposes further regulations on itself over and above those required by law.”
makes rather sloppy use of the concept of “society” – can we call SSE “society”, I think not.
However it is hard to disagree with the overall tone of your piece, or with the comments made upon it above.
BTW none of my Polish friends work in fire stations – suspicious, eh?
Well, it is certainly up to SSE to make up whatever daft rules they want on their own property, but you are right it is a symptom of society as a whole. Except the company I work for who seem unable to follow even the most basic, common sense safety procedures! Which puts me in the uncomfortable position of being the one that has to point out issues of safety, and even worse quoting legislation to convince them to act! Not dumb shit like this though, only basic stuff like fire escapes still locked etc.
Well, I agree with the drones.
When you drive down to Ramsgate, the kids have relapsed into unconciousness. You feel relatively refreshed and the task of reversing into a space on the seafront at 6:30am is relatively straightforward.
At least it is compared to trying to reverse out of said space at 6.30pm after12 hours at the British seaside, when you think that the only person in history who has ever had a worse day than you is the poor sod who, having been nuked at Hiroshima said “Fuck this for a game of soldiers, I’m off to stay with my Mum at Nagasaki”.
@john miller
It’s all a question of context, surely?
If you want to get away quick then it makes sense to park facing towards the road out, but if you want to load up your boot then parking forwards first would seem to make life easier.
I’m just suggesting that this is one of those little everyday choices that we should be left to make for ourselves, otherwise where does it end?
I’ve been on the site from which this story originates, and those rules, and many many more, have been in place for more than 2 years.
I could write a book about that place.
I was dragged out of a meeting I was in with a director, because I’d parked forwards (hurry, plus on a concall so forgot).
Don’t forget to hold the handrail on the stairs. Red on the way up, green on the way down. Woe betide you if you don’t. If you’re carrying a drink, use the lift.
Leave your coat on the back of your chair? Slapped.
Briefcase at the side of the desk? Bodyslam.
British Energy, who extend the safety codes of the nuclear power plants into their admin offices (hundreds of miles away) are even more comical to work with.
Somewhere in a mountain of old paperwork, I have a “Having a safe Christmas” booklet from SSE. Comical miserablism in green ink.
Useless cunts.