Cutbacks in I/Os

[Davo]

For info

West Yorkshire FRS is merging its five area based I/Os into three with subsequent reduction in staff

I hope they have finished checking the high rises per Lackanal!


davo

[Midland Retty]

Think this is common across the board Davio especially with the big Metro Brigades.

There has been talk for sometime now that fire authorities will become reactive enforcers, bit like the HSE, rather than doing routine inspections, and obviously that means you need less officers.

[Davo]

MR

The HSE certainly inspect though they do target certain risks above others.
For example, nobody has been prosecuted for an offence under DSE Regs 1992, but Working at Height Regs there are dozens every week.
This is perhaps not as structured as the FRS assessment database that is submitted after their visits


davo

[Mike Buckley]

From my experience the HSE work in two ways, one is based on the RIDDOR reports they receive and there are various categories which they are hot on. For example put a report in for contact dermatitis and you will receive a visit. Then they run campaigns on different areas, a couple of years ago they were hot on back injuries etc.

It would seem to be a logical thing for the Fire Service to follow a similar path and go for target areas to increase the visability and get people in those areas to do their stuff and then switch to another area. Hence go for a well publised blitz on Hotels, then when all the hotelliers are busily getting their premises up to date, switch to retail shops and so on.

It is very much like guerrilla warfare, don't go for a long campaign to defeat the enemy just get him to commit his resources to one area then switch to another. Its a case of trying to get maximum results for minimum effort.