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View Full Version : Is this true ???? Coastguards can't start a rescue until they fill HSA ...


ecureilx
20th Jan 2009, 06:36
Is this true ???

If it is stirring up a hornets nest ..Apologies in advance .. :} :}

Now coastguards can't launch rescue until they fill out health and safety assessment | Mail Online (http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1123031/Coastguards-start-rescue-healthy-safety-assessment.html)
Coastguards can't start a rescue until they fill out a healthy and safety assessment


Coastguards have been ordered to fill in a health and safety questionnaire before they can respond to calls for help.
All 400 of Britain's rescue units have been told that before they travel to an accident scene they must complete a 'vehicle pre-journey risk assessment'.
It is feared lives may be lost as vital minutes could be taken up with the assessments just as rescuers are preparing their response to emergency callouts.
Under the new rules, the teams have to take the time to answer four questions on the type of rescue and journey they are about to undertake.

Whirlygig
20th Jan 2009, 06:40
Is this true ???
Well it's in the Daily Mail so I'd take it with a pinch of salt :)

Cheers

Whirls

edwardspannerhands
20th Jan 2009, 07:17
Hard as it is to believe, I regret to say this is true. It would appear to the CRTs (Coastguard Rescue Teams) that this is just more ar$e covering by HQ, not to mention the fact it makes some 'elfin safety' department look really important. They have also withdrawn pyrotechniques from the CRTs. Large area illumination if required, now rests with the RNLI or a Rescue Helo - if 1 is available!!

cyclic gal
20th Jan 2009, 08:19
Is this true????

This is the rotary wing section of a forum for aviation related matters.....

Clever Richard
20th Jan 2009, 09:03
This can be added to the growing list of reasons why it will be a good idea to hand all of UK SAR to the MCA under the SAR-H banner.:ugh:

Having filled in the form, if the weather or any other circumstances change significantly en-route does the rescue team have to stop and amend the original or fill in a new one. Presumably the new/amended form will have to be witnessed and given to someone who is not part of the team for safe custody. I mean this as tongue-in-cheek, however, I am now starting to worry that this is the next step.

CD

cyclic gal
20th Jan 2009, 09:25
Am I missing something or is the original poster referring to a form relevent to road vehicles.

Whilst I share your reservations regarding health and safety gone mad, red tape and this awful nanny state in which we live, it hardly has anything to do with the operation of SAR Helicopters.

west lakes
20th Jan 2009, 09:36
The pre-journey risk assessment form is designed for when coastguards use their specially-equipped Land Rovers for land rescues.


On of the bits the original poster forgot to quote!!

Clever Richard
20th Jan 2009, 09:41
"Am I missing something or is the original poster referring to a form relevent to road vehicles.

Whilst I share your reservations regarding health and safety gone mad, red tape and this awful nanny state in which we live, it hardly has anything to do with the operation of SAR Helicopters."

Cyclic Gal, at the moment, you are right.

CD

LH2
20th Jan 2009, 10:38
Even if (for now) it concerns land vehicles only, the point about delaying assistance is still valid.

Two thoughts about it:

a) from the HSE drone's point of view, he should know that you can argue that the risk posed by a delayed response is more serious than that posed by not completing an HSA, and therefore that's what he should have written in their HSE management plan.

b) from the responders' point of view, surely they will have a stack of pre-filled forms which only require a quick signature before launch, either that or they'll have the sense to leave someone at the station in charge of filling the thing in.

And that's all from me. I worked as an EMT for a short while in a former life--luckily it was in a land where we were given ample freedom of action and the courts, society, and government were (and I believe still are) very supportive of our role.

OneOffDave
20th Jan 2009, 10:49
As far as I can see the HSE have had nothing to do with this at all so blaming them is the usual "'elf and safety gorn mad" guff that infests the Snail and Sexpress.

The other emergency services all do this kind of check at the begining of their shifts for their response vehicles so why should the CRT's operating on blue lights be any different? If I was picking up a vehicle and I didn't know who'd driven it last, I'd want to check it over before haring off, possibly off road in foul weather.

As is drummed into all emergency service drivers in their training, the key thing is to drive to arrive and this is all part of that process.





This thread is nothing to do with helicopters, as already pointed out by others.

Thread closed :oh:

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