Health And Saftey Strike Again!

firemen who are used to climbing 300ft ladders have a new order, do not to climb up their own council provided small step ladders due to health and safety concerns, as one firefighter said, 'It is preposterous, climbing a ladder safely is an integral part of being a firefighter, it is what we do and we receive expert training to ensure we do it properly, 'To now be told we are not to be trusted with a set of step ladders is ludicrous, we will be banned from tackling fires because they can get quite hot.' two years ago, firefighters from the same brigade, Bedfordshire and Luton Fire and Rescue Service, were banned from removing festival bunting strung across the road in Ampthill because bosses feared they might fall off their ladders, another firefighter said: 'The lads all think it's daft - health and safety gone mad, at first bosses told us we couldn't climb other people's stepladders in case they were rickety and we had to take our own along, 'Now they have ordered us not to use stepladders at all in case we fall off and hurt ourselves. I've been up a 300ft ladder with my hosepipe in my hand just feet away from roaring flames, I didn't fall off my ladder then so I am not likely to suddenly develop vertigo up a little stepladder.' in 2002 Gloucestershire Fire Brigade became the first in Britain to ban firefighters from sliding down the fire poles at their stations in case they hurt themselves - instead they were told to take the stairs, in December 2005, fire crews in Merseyside were also banned from going running in case they injured themselves, as I said before, health and safety gone mad!