Thread: Is common sense making a comeback?

Great story Stevo - should be more of the same around. Give that lady a prize.

Fortunately, I'm seeing at the moment that there are still a few places where common sense is still allowed to be practised. I'm working at a new iron ore mine, owned by a "junior" in the industry and operated by a Queensland based contractor which is really just gaining a presence in the mining game. While we're surrounded by some of the established "major players", fortunately we are not subject to the "nanny state" mentality that these companies have adopted, particularly relating to safety.

We are still allowed to use common sense.

Hell, we're even allowed to do things like climb up on the back of a semi trailer to unchain a load, and weld things without being a ticketed boilermaker, and have a beer in the dining room with our dinner etc. And it's not essential that we sit down and write a JSA before every mudane little task that we do during the day.

I've worked for some of the "major players" before - but never again. I appreciate an employer who recognizes that I've been around a few years and know what I'm doing. I suppose that it also helps to have a significant say in who we employ - and anyone who can't tie their shoelaces without a written procedure and an assessment is probably not going to get a start with us in the first place. The employers who treat everyone like children and then can't understand why they still have multiple serious injuries and fatalities in the workplace - I'll leave to someone else. I value my own safety (and sanity) too much to ever work for them again.

I think that when I got in trouble with a recent employer for not providing training (and written assessment) to new starters on how to adjust and wear a hard hat, and insert ear plugs into their ears - was pretty much the last straw for me.

Originally Posted by BMKal

I think that when I got in trouble with a recent employer for not providing training (and written assessment) to new starters on how to adjust and wear a hard hat, and insert ear plugs into their ears - was pretty much the last straw for me.

Originally Posted by Ace

In public schools now they have to send permissions slips home for parents to sign if they object to their childs photo being used for media purposes and on the schools website. Total crap i reckon.

While I would also prefer a world where that sort of thing is necessary, it is not necessarily the fault of the employer and sometimes there is a valid reason which those of us with common sense might not be aware of.

It is not necessarily the fault of the employer that they have been told that they will be seen as being at fault in the event of an accident if they do not have written evidence of having provided all relevant safety training.

If their choice is between treating their employees as idiots and knowing they will legally liable if something goes wrong, it isn't surprising that most insist on following the letter of the law.

Unfortunately it is often the case that the whole group needs to be subjected to some restriction because one individual needs protection. Years ago at a training course, I was taking photos of activities for publication in material to publicise the course. One woman quietly approached me and asked if I could make sure she was not included in any of the photos. She was quite an attractive young woman, so I probably looked a bit surprised at the request. She explained that on a previous occasion, her violent ex-husband had been able to track her down when he recognised her photo in some other published material. She didn't want to risk having that happen again.

In that case, no-one else was affected by her particular need for privacy, but I imagine there are children who have a similar legitimate need to have their whereabouts kept as secret as possible. So we need to weigh up the inconvenience of all parents having to sign a form against the very real danger that one child might be placed in by the publication of their photo.

I wish it was not necessary, but sometimes there is a reason for these things and even though the probability might be low, the seriousness of the potential problem justifies the rule or procedure.