The BigBen in London.
The leader of the House of Commons, Andrea Leadsom, has called for a review into the health and safety guidance for the silencing of the bell in the Palace of Westminster’s Elizabeth Tower, commonly referred to as Big Ben.
The decision was made to stop the bell until 2021 by the contractor of refurbishment works on the tower, on health and safety grounds, as the bell makes a noise in excess of 120db every fifteen minutes, and would create long-term damage to workers’ hearing.
But Leadsom challenged the decision questioning whether it was ‘beyond the wit of man’ for silencers to be worn when working near the Great Bell.
Recently, ear protection had been used by workers on the tower near the ‘Great Bell’, but this was only for short periods of time.
Some MPs had gathered by the tower when it last ‘bonged’ to mourn the loss of the sound for four years. Leader of the opposition, Jeremy Corbyn, described the issue as unimportant.
But the prime minister, Theresa May, along with other senior MPs in her cabinet demanded a rethink. Leadsom claimed there were ‘strong views’ among MPs and it was a ‘very important issue’.
She said: “The House’s Commission met and agreed to the cessation for the bells for the time being but also to look at whether there are other alternatives to leaving the bells off.”
A spokesman for the Commission told the Daily Telegraph: “The Commission endorsed the decision to cease Big Ben’s chimes sounding during these essential works except for national events such as Remembrance Sunday and New Year’s Eve.
“At the request of the Leader of the House, the Commission agreed that the Clerk of the House would investigate further the health and safety case for this decision and report back.”
In this episode of the Safety & Health Podcast, ‘Burnout, stress and being human’, Heather Beach is joined by Stacy Thomson to discuss burnout, perfectionism and how to deal with burnout as an individual, as management and as an organisation.
We provide an insight on how to tackle burnout and why mental health is such a taboo subject, particularly in the workplace.
Workers health to be compromised just so what? Tourists can hear some bells chime. There is no upside at defeating the robust measure that has been implemented. Surely legislation should have been consulted before making such ill-informed statments
Of all the important issues extant in the UK at this moment I am appalled that those who govern us have the time to pontificate on this issue. For once in my life I find myself in agreement with Jeremy Corbyn. It is clear that these high placed individuals have no concept of the matter of NIHL but they should be very strongly advised to read up on the subject before they take the matter further. It is not beyond the wit of man (or even government ministers) to electronically produce the sound of the great bell and use a… Read more »
“Mr Soames, the grandson of war-time prime minister Winston Churchill, added: ‘It is a tremendously defeatist decision in an age where the technology exists to recreate the sound of Big Ben completely authentically and on time.” Perhaps poor darling Nicholas Soames could stick his hand in his pocket and purchase some of this technology so that he personally can continue to hear said chimes while the bell stays silent? This almost equates to playing your boombox on the tube with the volume turned up to 11 because you like it that way and then forcing everyone else on the tube… Read more »
What a complete waste of time, effort and money, the health of the people working there is the main reason for stopping the bells, get over it and focus your time elsewhere.
Obviously the ‘sane and sensible’ people who run our government has proven yet again people do not really matter! If I took this attitude within the workplace it would not be long before my company ended up in court for exposing workers to excessive noise and possible vibration effects.
Perhaps the answer is to place speakers inside the house of commons to relay the sound at the same level as workers will experience and see how long that debate lasts. 120dB not too long a period to deafen people.
Has someone dropped a clanger? !!!
Sitting here in Lancashire, I am really missing the sound of this clock chime . . . . not!