Charity shop forced to close by health and safety chiefs
The Daily Mail can barely contain its glee over this story about a Devon branch of Cancer Research UK, which it reports had to close because the volunteers who staffed it were being forced to hire a £25,000-a-year manager to enforce health and safety rules.
The Mail reports that the volunteer pensioners were told they needed a paid manager to tell them how to use cleaning products properly.
Apparently, charity bosses gave the order to shut down the shop in Cullompton after a health and safety inspector identified ‘significant gaps’ in regulatory compliance.
Click here for the full Daily Mail story.
Charity shop forced to close by health and safety chiefs
The Daily Mail can barely contain its glee over this story about a Devon branch of Cancer Research UK, which had to close because the volunteers who staffed it were being forced to hire a £25,000-a-year manager to enforce health and safety rules.
Safety & Health Practitioner
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As with any Daily Mail story we do not seem to be in possession of all the facts (which of course would get in the way of a good story!).
• Who ordered this action, local Environmental Health?
• Was this just advice or an improvement notice or a misunderstanding?
• Does not Cancer Research, a national charity employing 1000’s of staff, have in house H&S expertise or they could organise a day’s H&S consultation for a couple hundred quid.
Suggest folk read the full article “Charity bosses said…” and “..they were uninsurable…” this is the bosses being risk adverse and insurance companies trying to grab big premiums.
If you read HSE advice you do not need to hire £25k consultants. don’t blame H&S blame over cautious bosses and get-rich-quick insurance companies.
There is many a H&S professional who could help such organisations at minimal cost or pro bono.
Would the paper rather that we didn’t point out when an employer was committing a criminal act perhaps?
If an organisation employs someone, then they must seek competent advice. End of.
It is then up to the organisation how they comply with that law.
Double standars from the flog ’em / hang ’em press methinks.