Health and Safety madness

Recently I took some garden waste to the Civic Amenity site at Braywick, Maidenhead. I drove into the site behind a car towing a trailer full of garden clippings.

As I got out of my car one of the site operatives came up and, very apologetically, asked the driver to move his car to another part of the site, uncouple the trailer and push it back, some 30 yards, to the point from which he was being asked to remove it.

Not surprisingly, the driver questioned this and was told by the operative that this was required as a ‘health and safety’ measure, adding that he wasn’t responsible for making the rules. Now, I find myself asking what if someone frail, or say with a heart condition, was required to push their laden trailer those 30 yards?

Yes, I know that the Duty of Care policy, or whatever it is called, for the operatives probably says that they must assist anyone who asks in such circumstances.

But many people will not ask, for whatever reason, and the operatives at busy times, such as at the weekend, have more than enough to do.

So I find myself asking, what is the reasoning behind this requirement? Sadly, I cannot come up with any sort of logical answer. I say sadly, because for 11 years, I worked for the council and enforcing health and safety was part of my brief.

If anyone in the employ of the Royal Borough or its contractors running the Braywick site can enlighten me, then I will indeed be most grateful to them.

ALAN STANTON
Milley Road
Waltham St Lawrence