Rooftop rescue at school - IT Technicians beware.

[Simcfc73]

This was in our local paper. The school is just up the road from me.

 

Firefighters used specialist mountain rescue equipment to free an IT technician trapped in the roof of the school.

The 22-year old man was retrieved from the loft of The King's High School, Pontefract, where he had been laying cables at 10.15am on Thursday April 13.

The man had entered the loft through a hatch and walked along the beams in the 100ft-long roof space, before trapping his foot and dislocating his knee when he tried to climb over a horizontal beam.

A team from Pontefract Fire Station, one of just three specialist rescue stations in West Yorkshire, used a stretcher to move a man back to the loft hatch and then ropes and pulleys to lower him 30ft through the hatch to waiting paramedics.

[Geoff]

heh, we're not allowed to go above stepladder height.

[pshuttle]

Unlucky! That is the sort of thing that happens to me!

 

Pete

[NetworkGeezer]

I didn't know 'Prison Break' was set in Pontefract

[apeo]

Ouch.. bad enough the poor guy got injured but then to have an article on it.. harsh. I can smell accident claims in the wind

[MkII]

The sort of thing we do in schools and the consequences. The schools insurance would't cover it for the reason Geoff stated for a start.

[petectid]

The sort of thing we do in schools and the consequences. The schools insurance would't cover it for the reason Geoff stated for a start.

That all depends Mark, on whether the school had asked him to do the job. If he decided himself to install these new cables then he could also loose his job, as he was doing something he ought not to have been doing.

[Geoff]

That's a bit of a grey area now isn't it. If his job description says 'installing cabling' then surely he is doing what he's supposed to be doing. Regardless of the height..

 

But yeah, no insurance at that altitude.

[Simcfc73]

Isn't it the old 'Any further duties that the Principal wants you to do' at the end of the contract.?

[Geoff]

Certainly is on mine. I doubt I'll see 'tripping over roof beams and causing personal injury thereby trapping oneself in roof spaces' in my job description any time soon though.

[CyberNerd]

I'm in the same situation - was asked to lay cables despite the school previously knoing there was an asbestos risk. I subsequently learned of this and am now much more careful about what I agree to.

[Geoff]

I'm in the same situation - was asked to lay cables despite the school previously knoing there was an asbestos risk. I subsequently learned of this and am now much more careful about what I agree to.

 

You could probably give them a nice legal spanking over that. Have you talked to your union about it?

[russdev]

Isn't it the old 'Any further duties that the Principal wants you to do' at the end of the contract.?

 

As it come to it the tasks they ask you should be resonable so asking you to put your health at risk is not but asking you to nip to office with a message as long as not all the while they can ask you...

 

 

russ

[CyberNerd]

No, I'm pretty sure the risk was minimal as it was only one particular area. I was really annoyed at the time that I wasn't told about it though. The work is finally being done this summer now to remove all the damaged material around the school (2yrs after the initial survey!)

[russdev]

well as for asbestos funny you should mention that we had something in brefing about mianly there is few areas in school that have got it or closed off and away from anyone...

 

but have been told about it and also it it labled up as such...

 

russ

[petectid]

That's a bit of a grey area now isn't it. If his job description says 'installing cabling' then surely he is doing what he's supposed to be doing. Regardless of the height..

 

But yeah, no insurance at that altitude.

Its not that grey Geoff, the point is the line you mention in the contract of employment. ”Any further duties that the Principal deems necessary”. Therefore if the school asks you to do the job and you do not decline because you think it unsafe, (this is your right). If anything goes wrong then you have a strong case against your employer. This did happen to a colleague of mine, a science technician who was asked to repair the Venetian blinds in a lab. Because of benching he had to place the stepladder on the work surface, not the floor. He should not have used the ladders on the bench, but he had never been trained in the use of steps so his misuse of the equipment was put down to his employer not training him in equipment use. As he came down off the ladder he stepped back into a sink fell and smashed his elbow, he never worked again though he was nearing retirement. The Authority did not win the case and he received damages. Needless to say we were now unable to use any stepladders from that day on in the Borough.

[webman]

National Accident Helpline anyone?

[MkII]

Isn't it the old 'Any further duties that the Principal wants you to do' at the end of the contract.?

 

[unison Hat]

 

The official line to quote is "are you the competant person in law". Meaning trained, qualified and are those up to date. If you aren't you shouldn't be doing it, no matter what your job description says.

 

If the school asks you to do it, the blame lies with them, but then you have to prove that. If you do it under your own steam, both you and the school are culpable.

[plexer]

Any further duties that the Principal deems necessary

 

Ah yes that old chestnut that everyone seems to have in their contracts however this cannot be a catch all clause for absolutely anything they desire.

 

I have an official line on this from our LEA HR department that is filed away as an email at work for future reference.

 

Ben