The after school care has a blanket"guideline"of No Hat No Play
No-one seems to know the difference between a guideline and a rule or policy.
When asked why they blame the National Childcare Accreditation people and the Anti-Cancer Council. This only works until some-one e-mails those and confirms that No Hat No Play is essentially crap .
Attempting to discuss sunlight hours needed for good or ill depending on time of year ,weather patterns ,skin type etc or discussion of vitamin D levels or requirements is useless- "the guidelines say so".
Pointing out all of the above to the people who look after your obnoxious offspring with patience and good humour day after day is probably not wise.
So why do it?
Because every now and then I make a pathetic attempt to fight the dumbing down of evidence based practice .
Because I hate that guidelines-a summary of the evidence and advice for best practice - are corrupted into inviolable laws in an obscene game of managerial chinese whispers.
Because I want to see people who are good at their jobs allowed to use their judgement and I want to see people who don't have that judgement exposed.
Because I am a miserable mad old bat who likes ranting.
So why do it?
2 comments:
Greetings!
Having been directed to your blog by Diane, I have now found someone who shares so many of my hobby-horses, it's scary!
I'm sending you an essay I wrote some time ago that describes another of my many hobby-horses.
AN OCCUPATIONAL HAZARD
I don’t know about you, but my workplace has reached new heights in safety-craziness. It’s modern OH&S gone mad! Let me explain.
The principle seems to be that, if you document, label and warn about every conceivable mishap in the workplace, nothing will go wrong. I think they’re counting on everyone spending so much time reading the instructions and warnings that they have no time to actually touch the appliance or equipment.
These crazy warnings seem to fall into several categories. Firstly, there’s the “state the bleeding obvious”. Good examples here include “danger – boiling water” on the urn, and “careful, there may be someone on the other side” posted on doors.
Then there’s the “how do we all cope at home?” category. Here, items used safely everyday in every home suddenly become a hazard if installed in the workplace kitchen or tearoom. There’s the “caution: contents hot on removal” on the microwave, and “read manufacturer’s instructions” on the fridge.
Lastly, there’s the “hazardous materials” category. Near where I currently sit, my safety is protected by a Material Safety Data Sheet describing the hazardous contents of the liquid soap in the dispenser at the hand basin. A full A4 sheet, crowded with essential information, is posted on the wall. It starts with a Statement of Hazardous Nature, which explains that the pink liquid is classified “non-hazardous” by Worksafe Australia. It then goes on to describe in detail how it is non-hazardous, and gives useful safety tips such as “if swallowed, give a glass of water”. It informs me that the liquid soap is soluble in water and is non-flammable. How safe and secure I now feel as I wash my hands, avoiding splashes to the eye and avoiding ingestion of soap.
Even more interesting than these are the “Safe Work Practices” instruction sheets, expressed in “hazardous materials” style, which outline the safe use of everyday equipment. These outline in formalised detail the procedures for use, including appropriate Personal Protective Equipment. My personal favourite of these is the Safe Work Practices document outlining the safe use of “Knives, Forks and Spoons.” This essential document has been both ratified and reviewed, laminated, and posted prominently in the kitchen. Here, the useful instructions include “Always pick up the knife, fork and spoon using the handle of the utensil.” The Safety Warnings include “Always ensure to use the handles on the utensils”, “Ensure the utensil is facing away from you”, and “Don’t place the knife into your mouth.” One can only imagine how many serious accidents from cutlery misuse are now prevented. What a relief!
However, I can see another problem arising. As the workforce becomes increasingly multicultural, will the cutlery warning be sufficient? What about chopstick hazards? (“Do not poke sharp end in eye.”) What about food labelling? (“Caution – caffeine may impair somnolence.”) Worried about job security? Take a job in OH&S – the tasks are never-ending…………
noticed your comment belatedly and had to add- whilst wrestling with a childproof pill container the other day I gashed myself quite badly on the (large print)plastic safety label that had been affixed to the bottle.I tried to figure it out and eventually realised that the original bottle (and the safety warnings on it) were very small- presumably they failed some committee"s safety testing and the pharmacy was told to add another label.
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