insider_imageSo the premier sporting tournament in the world is reaching its closing stages – but what a fuss about those vuvuzelas!

The early part of this World Cup will be remembered more for the uproar about the South African fan’s horns than for the football itself – which was pretty dull actually.

It’s a bit arrogant to go to an event like this and then try and control how the locals behave.

That’s a bit like going into somebody else’s warehouse and telling them to change what they’re doing just so you feel more comfortable, although that is the remit of the Health and Safety Executive isn’t it?

Mind you, in my experience you will get fair warning that they’re about to turn up anyway, which is a bit pointless.

You always know when a health and safety inspector is about to turn up because the warehouse manager will actually be in the warehouse, managing people – rather than hiding away in his office.

He’ll be handing out high-vis jackets to all those workers who have forgotten to bring them – or in other words those workers who never wear them anyway and don’t even bother to bring them in.

He’ll be keeping a close eye on proceedings making sure that everything runs smoothly when the inspector is in town – all very false and completely farcical because by the next day the usual slack behaviours are back again.

I know I am generalising here of course and basing this scenario on my own warehouse experiences, in fact I know that you are not supposed to receive warning about such an inspection – so clearly some managers have good contacts in the HSE to be made aware of when they are about to be targeted.

I was never subjected to a health and safety inspection during times when I was actually in charge of a warehouse.

My obligatory Health and Safety notice was on the wall and I had processes and documentation in place to show I was working within the parameters inspectors would be looking for, I was more than confident it would have been a success although that day never came.

Of course they are notoriously picky and I am willing to admit that there were a few practices that they would probably have picked up on.

If they ever got too critical I would have just got my Vuvuzela out – that would scare them off!

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