I Newsagents under the Health & Safety at work act responsible

[Asaw]

I Newsagents under the Health & Safety at work act responsible for the newspaper boys and girls safety whilst delivering newspapers.

 

If yes why do they allow them out on bikes without lights ride round with hoods up only the flourescent bags to make them be seen (if they are lucky)

 

OR Is It simple for them just to pack the papers in a bag and clear off into the darkness unseen.

 

I Regular travel between Aston and Hoyland in a morning between 7.00am and 7.45am and not do we have to put up with other half a sleep motorists but unseen cyclist jumping off the pavements into the road dressed in black and no lights ,rididing up main roads and pulling out without signalling.

 

I know there has been other threads on cyclists but kids on bikes and the newsagents that employ them have a responsibility under the Health and Safety at work act.

[Mr Prime]

I suggest a call to the police to get them to pay a visit to these newsagents or the kids families.

[Asaw]

Would be difficult as:-

a) don't know the children

b) Don't know the Newsagents

[kermit103]

Health and Safety act for a newsagent how stupid. How can they police there workers if they are out on the road. Think the "you are responsible for your own omissions" comes into play. Anyway H & S is in our face to much now, give it a rest!!!

[Asaw]

They are employed by the newsagent

[TeaFan]

Health and Safety act for a newsagent how stupid. How can they police there workers if they are out on the road.

 

The way it works is, the employer should advise their employees of what they need to do to avoid serious injury. Having done that it's the employee's fault if they ignore the advice and get injured. It's not very difficult really.

[Yog Sothoth]

What teafan said. BUT, allowing your employee out on a vehicle (bike) knowingly in a dangerous or illegal condition (ie no lights when it's dark outside) leaves you open to a charge of negligence if the employee has an accident as a result of that. Should insist on them having lights. It's not rocket science - you can do a risk assessment in your head in ten seconds that tells you it's not acceptable. Not doing anything puts you in breach of the law. If you make sure they have lights, but they choose not to use them, you've done all that is reasonable, and the onus is on them. Don't forget though - they are young people, or even children, depending on their age, so you have to take that into account, and go the extra mile in enforcing your rule on the matter, and making them understand the need for lights.

 

Course, you can always tell them to ride on the path.