Sir, – I am both surprised and amused by the content and tone of the article by Denis McClean (March 14th) and the subsequent letter from Gerry Gilligan (March 20th). “Health and safety” is often wrongly blamed and sometimes used as a convenient excuse to justify any number of decisions. However, local authorities such as Waterford County Council are faced with an inordinate amount of personal injury claims every year from members of the public and must make every effort to ensure they have done all that is reasonably practicable to prevent such accidents and injuries.
It often seems that no matter what is done to safeguard members of the public by the local authority, it is liable regardless.
Perhaps if certain members of the public were less keen to pursue a claim at every opportunity and more willing to take personal responsibility for their actions and those of their children, we could continue to enjoy such facilities without the “fun police” having to step in all the time? – Yours, etc,
DECLAN GIBNEY,
Chartered Safety
Practitioner,
Vice President
Institution of Occupational
Safety and Health,
Calmount Park,
Dublin 12.