A day nearer compulsary suspension seating ??

[northcol]

Another back injury on a Commercial RIB Trip !

Timely reminder to ensure all your procedures & RA's are up to speed !

Lighthouse worker suing bosses after bumpy seas ‘injured her back' | News | Edinburgh | STV

[PeterM]

Interesting reading . ...

I really really hate these type of situations. For me its just a cash cow ...if she had seen and read a risk assesment what would she have done differantly ?

By her own admission she wasn't keen so why should anyone believe her when she says the waves got bigger etc etc ....is she suddently knowledgable about safe boat operation ?

If she has not been briefed would it make a differance if she had but then failed to act in the best way to mitigate the shock ?

If there were the most expensive shock seats fitted and she still gets hurt ( which will happen as you cant beat pyhsics ) who can she blame then ? Boat skipper , boat designer , seat maker, seat designer , boat rigger , sales agent etc etc ?


Makes me mad ....

[mick]

I hope the judge tells her to feck off and she should be sacked as well

[Alan Priddy]

Or they employ a driver that can handle a boat! Alan P

[PeterM]

Originally Posted by Alan Priddy

Or they employ a driver that can handle a boat! Alan P

I thinks thats a crap statement to make .... if they were that bad how come no one else was injured or complained ( based on the article ) ? They must have had some kind of ticket to be driving the boat .... if they 'cant handle a boat' do you think an authority would not have stepped in ?

She is sueing her employer not the boat skipper or operator anyhow......

Has no one ever been injured on one of your boats Alan ?

[Dirk Diggler]

Originally Posted by PeterM

Has no one ever been injured on one of your boats Alan ?

[mick]

She will be one of those people with no common sense

[PeterM]

Originally Posted by PeterM

Has no one ever been injured on one of your boats Alan ?

Apologies if that comes across as harsh....I had hoped that someone of Alan experiance would not make such a sweeping statement and appreciate sometimes stuff just happens and there is such a thing as an accident with no one at fault or to blame.

[ShinyShoe]

A finance assistant has to go count batteries at a lighthouse... really? Sounds like an excuse for a nice trip out...

I hope the judge tells her to feck off and she should be sacked as well

Article says the damages are agreed, its the liability thats being contested...

[HUMBER P4VWL]

Irrespective of any fault through neglect etc She's at work and been injured to an extent we assume she's been signed off work. End of the day the employer will be liable one way or another I suspect. Accidents happen, freak circumstances, that's what insurance is for, to cover the unexpected that can't be predicted or protected against.

If she didn't claim in a circumstance like this, what's the point in insurance.

[C2 RIBS]

Originally Posted by PeterM

sometimes stuff just happens and there is such a thing as an accident with no one at fault or to blame.

Suspension seating is not the answer to this, but may be an aid, as are boat handling. I have been here with a similar injured party and we covered all bases at the start but unfortunately the person failed to mention a back injury from months ago despite our briefings and risk assessing.

[wavelength]

ah yes...perhaps but of course not neccesarily, husband going on trip, other half goes along for the jolly and to allegedly "bean count" whilst poor b***y boat crew get lumbered with someone who has no idea, no kit of her own, and shouldnt be there but the commercial pressures on the boat from husband's employer are to get jobs done or they will find another contractor. Skipper may well be able to drive the boat better than most and has probably done so in the past with no injuries and has never sunk a boat or needed the assistance of an expensive helicopter. But now he is facing a civil action and some want to jump on the bandwagon to pass comment on his boat handling skills with no real knowledge of the situation.
Welcome to the real world of the commercial skipper! Still want that job?

[spartacus]

Some harsh comments here regards the injured woman. From what I've read the case seems straight-forward.

The lighthouse board have a duty of care for their employees. They requested that she undertook the trip, and they should have taken all necessary steps to ensure her safety, bearing in mind her lack of offshore experience.

The £21k is of little consequence when the woman could potentially suffer from recurring back pain in the years to come.

[PeterM]

Originally Posted by HUMBER P4VWL

Irrespective of any fault through neglect etc She's at work and been injured to an extent we assume she's been signed off work. End of the day the employer will be liable one way or another I suspect. Accidents happen, freak circumstances, that's what insurance is for, to cover the unexpected that can't be predicted or protected against.

If she didn't claim in a circumstance like this, what's the point in insurance.

The point is cover liability - not cover an accident.... to be liable for something you have to responsible - either through action or inaction of what would be considered reasonable. (In its most simplistic form of course - there are differing ways liability can be established)

If a bloody big wave pops up with a big trough behind ...who is responsible for that ? The best boat & skipper 'could' still slam down into it even though they have done everything considered reasonable to avoid it.

Accidents are just that .....accidents.

This is quite differant from the recent culture of someone always being to blame or responsible.

I'll get my coat ( again) ...

[wavelength]

Some harsh comments

yep its called reading between the lines and not taking things at face value esp when a bit of compo is involved. Husband going to do a job that involves a nice boat trip to a lovely location and she, an office bound employee suddenly gets the nod to go as well to count a few bits and bobs...get real! And the boat crew gets lumbered with an unprepared and unaware passenger.

[mick]

Originally Posted by HUMBER P4VWL

Irrespective of any fault through neglect etc She's at work and been injured to an extent we assume she's been signed off work. End of the day the employer will be liable one way or another I suspect. Accidents happen, freak circumstances, that's what insurance is for, to cover the unexpected that can't be predicted or protected against.

If she didn't claim in a circumstance like this, what's the point in insurance.

Surly the women had a tong in here head to speak and say slow down or something if she didn't feel safe.
If I claimed off my customers for all the injuries I have had I would be able to have a second home and support the local shops in a different area.

[Bigmuz7]

"Mrs Cairns, started as a receptionist with the board before becoming a finance assistant where part of her duties was dealing with its fixed assets. She told the court she had never had any education or training on boarding a vessel or being a passenger on a boat."

I wouldnt take my secretary out on a gung ho off shore visit thats for sure .... she might have lost the sugar for my coffee

And ofcourse Mrs Cairns must surely have known what she was about to do ?

I think theres a bit more to this one

[mick]

Originally Posted by Bigmuz7

"Mrs Cairns, started as a receptionist with the board before becoming a finance assistant where part of her duties was dealing with its fixed assets. She told the court she had never had any education or training on boarding a vessel or being a passenger on a boat."

I wouldnt take my secretary out on a gung ho off shore visit thats for sure .... she might have lost the sugar for my coffee

And ofcourse Mrs Cairns must surely have known what she was about to do ?

I think theres a bit more to this one

Exactly

[Jim Robinson]

Originally Posted by HUMBER P4VWL

Irrespective of any fault through neglect etc She's at work and been injured to an extent we assume she's been signed off work. End of the day the employer will be liable one way or another I suspect. Accidents happen, freak circumstances, that's what insurance is for, to cover the unexpected that can't be predicted or protected against.

If she didn't claim in a circumstance like this, what's the point in insurance.

As much as I hate to say it reading the circumstance, to put a 55yr old lady with no previous experience in a Rib to a lighthouse in what sounds like moderate conditions was not the most wise decision.Does sound like she was genuinely hurt.
Two local lads jumped the ferry wash in a seadoo boat off Ryde landed flat and broke their backs easily done.

[Shark Seats]

Unfortunately these things are all too common, we have had some serious injuries back here in New Zealand too. One poor lady suffering paralysis from a spinal injury.

We are hoping that we can provide suspension seating at a value point that incentivises widespread use in commercial boats so that the likelihood of injury is reduced. It's good to see some regulatory measures being taken with the EU Vibration Directive and other standards being formed.

I put a bit of info up about what we are making here:

http://www.rib.net/forum/f43/suspens...ing-76731.html

It would be great to hear feedback, positive and negative welcome (constructive)

Cheers,
Dan.