Health and Safety in the Marina

[Fish 0]

I think it very odd that a visitor such as Wheels to a marina required a safety induction.

 

Normally safety inductions would only be required for contractors carrying out specific works around the marina, not for visitors on private boats.

 

I've given this some thought. The conclusion is that the marina has heard about, or been tipped off about Wheels.

I think it most likely that riggers mate did it. It is most likely to be Wheels association with KM, and Wheels penchant for breaking stuff, or as KM refers to it "product testing". Nothing is safe. This is verified by Wheel's avatar tag "knows enough to be dangerous".

The mere fact that the place spontaneously combusted just on Wheels arrival should strike fear into the heart of any manager of OSH beuracrat.

[wheels 543]

Brilliant Fish.

 

 

wheels. Why do you refuse to face facts? My own mum in law lost a mouthful of teeth due to an accident at a pool which was totally not her fault. She's lucky to be alive. Perhaps you don't like pool fences on suburban pools? You'd rather see dead kids on the flawed understanding that their parents deserve it because they are stupid???? That's insulting and, to say the least, insensitive. On your logic that people deserve what they get because they are stupid we wouldn't have a Coastguard either. Is that what you really think?

 

The sign is not meant to FIX the hazard, it's meant to warn.

No you have that totally wrong Kevin. I have no issues with Work (or any place) safety. I am looking at the sillyness and the hypocrisy of it all. Crisc sums it up, that OSH don't care about the safety, they care about the paperwork. And the fact that this whole development of Workplace safety is all about what it will eventually unfold to be.
Kevin, you don't say how your Mom lost her teeth? That does not sound like a normal occurrence of what could happen around a pool.
One of the most famous arguments when it came to Pools, was the case where a Pool was made to be fenced and at the bottom of the garden, just a few metres away, was a lovely enticing river, that did not have to be fenced. But no, I have no argument with Pools needing to be fenced. What I do have argument against is that those setting the rules are dumb. They do not understand what Danger and Hazard are. As Chrisc said, he came up with a better safer solution, but it was easier to stick with a more unsafe situation, because some dipstick behind the desk could not see the benefits of the new application. By the way, I have found exactly the same thing with the EPA and Council in regards to Environmental questions. I asked a question anonymously and anyone would have thought I just hit the Fire Alarm. But that is another story.
To me, if your Boss supplies scaffolding to do a job that would be dangerous on a ladder, then I am all for that. But the Boss should not be liable for some dumb idiot that breaks the rules by climbing outside of the scaffold to reach an area. And under the law, if that happen, the Boss is liable for dumb idiot.
For my Marina example, actually you are quite wrong. The law is,
1: Mitigate the Hazard.
2: if you can not remove the hazard, you have to ensure people can not get to the Hazard (not work law word perfect)
The signs are not as a "No3" if 1 & 2 cannot be done. The signs are to make people aware of what hazards are around where hazards are. They DO NOT move responsabilty from Boss/Operator, to Joe Blog.
In this little example of mine, if the Hand Rail is dangerous, then it must either be fixed or people must not be able to use it. No sign can negate the issue by simply highlighting the fact that the rail may not support you.
     The more significant point to all this is that I as a Visitor had an "indoctrination". I was told of hazards in area's I have no intention of being even. For instance, a Crane in a far corner. But that aside, the more important point is this?
!!!! does this mean that all Marinas in NZ now have to take a Visiting Boat through and indoctrination process upon arrival?
!!!!What about Berth Holders? Are they going to be required to go to the main office upon arrival to the Marina, read the hazard board, sign in/out each day? Because under the OSH laws, that is what is actually required. The whole point in signing in, is to ensure people have read the board and signed their name to say they have, plus for Staff to know who is where when in case of evacuation. Just putting a sign up at the head of a finger does not solve or dissolve responsibility to the Marina operator.

My Favorite sign is, "Warning, This Sign may have sharp edges".
 

[Black Panther 1,581]

this?

[Kevin McCready 83]

OK thanks for the clarification wheels. Sorry to misunderstand.

[Dtwo 157]

Current favourite is the warning you get when you turn on the GPS - "Not to be used as your primary source for navigation info" or somesuch drivel.  WTF?  Why would you turn it on if you didn't want to use it for navigation?

[SloopJohnB 323]

You still have to use your eyes as the primary source.

[vic008 17]

Used to be, you'd be in the smoko shed and always you'd find pamphlets from Labour Dept with the latest accident reports and what caused them. Nowadays you just see mention of accident in the paper but without any reasons about the cause. So you dont learn anything. Bloody hopeless.

[Dtwo 157]

 

Not H&S but no doubt produced by the same people

[Battleship 100]

So this is what it has come to.

This little Gem was in our latest Marina newsletter.

 

" Please be AWARE – anyone ( friend / contractor ) working on your boat MUST be inducted into the marina, and provide proof of insurance with a $ 5 million in Ship repairers or similar insurance."

 

What a load of sh*t. We can't get any mates to help us sand the bottom of the boat without an induction and $5 million cover.

We need to stand up to these f#*#ers.

[ScottiE 174]

just advise them that sanding the bottom of your boat is not infact work but a pleasurable hobbie activity that has been enjoyed by countless generations before - clearly!

[w44vi 17]

just advise them that sanding the bottom of your boat is not infact work but a pleasurable hobbie activity that has been enjoyed by countless generations before - clearly!

Must remember that when I am standing under 45ft sanding with cold dirty water running down my arms in to my armpits 

[wheels 543]

What a load of sh*t. We can't get any mates to help us sand the bottom of the boat without an induction and $5 million cover.

We need to stand up to these f#*#ers.

 

Yeah can't see you getting far with that.

In fairness, well as fair as anyone can be, it is more the Insurance Companies that are the cause of this. The more these Insurance companies want to play "by the book" when it comes to payouts, the more the Insured have to "dot all T's" so to speak because of the fear they may not be covered in an eventuality.

In saying that though, I am surprised they are asking for "friends". It is usually anyone that is a Contractor. In other words, high or reward. I can see this going in a direction of "Insured Contractors Only" eventually. The owner is not "qualified" enough, nor does he have a specific coverage for working on his boat. 

[Battleship 100]

Yeah agree that contractors would want some sort of insurance cover but friends? I guess you could just give all your friends a share in the boat for 1 dollar, then you are all owners problem solved. This sort of idiotic bureaucracy just does my head in. 

[wheels 543]

I might have told this one. Last year I saw two guys removing Asbestos from a ground site. Both were done to the 9's in white fully enclosed suits, face masks, gloves etc etc. One was inside the cab of the excavator even.
How did I know it was Asbestos? because of a sign on the fence just 5m away said so. The fence was on the edge of the footpath where people were walking past. it was windy and the dust was blowing across the path, across the street and right smack into the new Highschool across the road.
I also roll my eyes at seeing this site on the road. First a Pilot Vehicle passes, then a Transport Truck with "wide Load" signs. But the wide load is no more than the 150 to 200mm of blade of a Dozer sticking out of each side. The over hang is well highlighted with hazard indicators. That part makes sense. But a Pilot Vehicle??? It certainly makes sense of the load was wide enough that the opposite lane had to move over to allow room. But who is gong to pass a Huge Truck with less than 200mm of gap. It is plain wasted money that the end user has to foot the bill for.
And then there are the sites where a Power Co is digging a trench with a backhoe or similar machine and there are 2 to 5 people standing around. Apparently now thy have a person watching the person watching the Machine, in case the person watching the machine forgets what he is doing and gets run over.

[The big T 41]

Am not to sure contractually where a marina operator has the say and control on who and how people can work on your boat?

 

A better mind than mine for an answer?

 

I would think that if I use a contractor on my boat, its my call and responsibility for that job- should it go wrong I carry the insurance in the first instance (and I have to furnish details of this to the marina). Health and Safety is surely my concern as I am the employer. An analogy may be that I rent a house but employ a mechanic to work on my car there - does the landlord have any say on that job?

 

The marina is, after all, only renting space and while I can see a need for certain controls to protect other users, reasonable duty of care should apply. Legislation provides for controls and penalties , not the marina operator.

 

Is Big Brother Marina over reaching themselves?

[erice 732]

peter jackson and another director of weta digital

 

are resigning as directors

 

apparently due to new health + safety regs.

 

http://www.stuff.co.nz/business/75986534/health-and-safety-legislation-sees-peter-jackson-resign-as-weta-workshop-director

 

nothing too sinister

 

just that sleeping directors can still have their personal fortunes raided 

 

if they are found not to have done EVERYTHING to prevent injury

[grant 40]

Am not to sure contractually where a marina operator has the say and control on who and how people can work on your boat?

 

A better mind than mine for an answer?

 

I would think that if I use a contractor on my boat, its my call and responsibility for that job- should it go wrong I carry the insurance in the first instance (and I have to furnish details of this to the marina). Health and Safety is surely my concern as I am the employer. An analogy may be that I rent a house but employ a mechanic to work on my car there - does the landlord have any say on that job?

 

The marina is, after all, only renting space and while I can see a need for certain controls to protect other users, reasonable duty of care should apply. Legislation provides for controls and penalties , not the marina operator.

 

Is Big Brother Marina over reaching themselves?

Maybe not, the marina is a commercial landowner and they will carry some of the responsibility for the operation carried on there, how much is their issue and how much is the boat owners ( or contractors) issue is a matter for discussion. Which is probably done in the fine print of the agreement you signed to have your boat there. I believe the new act acknowledges that several parties can have an interest or responsibility for the same site and they need to arrange how that is going to play out...

[wheels 543]

No contractor is allowed to work in any of the Marlborough marinas unless they hold an Insurance cover. I am not sure

of the amount of cover needed, but I am pretty sure it is far more than 5 mill. I have a feeling it is 13 mill. I know

the premium was so rediculously expensive that I figured there was no point in trying to do work on boats in the Marinas.

 

 

While on the subject of insurance. Basically you can no longer enter a Marina without Boat insurance. But what about

a Fuel berth that is inside the Marina?

[jonathan 4]

yeah , i have no insurance and I cannot berth at marinas.....   never though about fuel berths....    anyone who wants to give me a quote for insurance feel free to pm, boat is sound, just did a coramandal cruise....

[tuffyluffy 76]

 Basically you can no longer enter a Marina without Boat insurance. 

 

Are you sure about this?

I cant recall ever being asked about my insurance cover when I've pulled into a marina for a night or two.