Comments by Bruce Manning

Bruce Manning
Member - 13 posts

I too have received several round-robin emails which have inadvertently revealed the email addresses of all the recipients, including some from large companies who should know better. It has been quite useful, as on occasion it has revealed who that company's suppliers and/or customer contacts were. This is clearly of commercial value and could be classed as a detriment to those who have not given permission for the disclosure, therefore I believe it does fall within the scope of the DPA, although I agree that a prosecution would probably fail.

I spoke to a couple of the senders, and it was obvious that they neither understood the implication nor knew about the bcc button. Then I realised that the email software has to be set up correctly, or the bcc button is not visible. So my approach now is to send a polite but unequivocal note back to the sender, explaining the problem and the solution. Generally I get no reply or a grudging thank you!

Bruce Manning
Member - 13 posts

1. I BELIEVE this is a forum for workplace law practitioners to share problems with and obtain advice from their peers, not to comment on the parlous state of the country?
2. I'm sure we all have horror stories about what goes on in hospitals, but being British we just moan to each other, which is completely ineffective. At the main entrance to all NHS Primary Care Trusts there should be a notice board which identifies the principal officers of the Trust. My advice is: take a few minutes to write to the CEO if you really care and really want to get something changed. Keep writing until you get a response. Keep copies of all correspondence. If it becomes obvious that you are being fobbed off, copy the whole file to the HSE and the Secretary of State for Health, Alan Johnson at The Cabinet Office

Bruce Manning
Member - 13 posts

.....and that doesn't begin to address another related issue, of the need for parents to be better supported so that they can retrieve the apparently lost values of parenting, eg provide standards for children to live up to. And while we are banging on about our rights, perhaps someone will consider their responsibilities as well.....

Perhaps we should look again at the question from David Stanley which began this thread, which no-one has yet addressed. Is the practice of employing mostly Eastern European workers discriminatory against British workers?

Bruce Manning
Member - 13 posts

Oh dear! For an apparently erudite and articulate mature male, the commentator is being incredibly naive. Just to pick up on on point, and I quote: "But this is a free country. Everybody already has the same job prospects and the same opportunity to succeed". That is simply not true. Just consider one aspect, job applications. How many applicants are rejected at the cv scan stage because of clues about ethnicity, age, gender, social background, health? If you don't get an interview, you don't have the same opportunities. Criticise the Government and individual ministers by all means, that's your democratic right, but endorsing bald statements as facts when they are clearly not is best left to politicians......

Bruce Manning
Member - 13 posts

Wow, it's hard to believe that you are both commenting on the same subject. I suppose it's down to which newspapers you each read...
Just as a matter of interest, I live in the West Country (apparently the area most affected) and I buy my diesel from the local supermarket. I saw no significant effect from the strike apart from marginally longer queues at the pumps on day 2. I spoke to people in the cashier's queue (there were three of us), and thay all said they weren't panic buying, but were topping up their tanks just in case....
Thanks to both of you for your frankness - that's what a forum is for, and the exchange of views. We learn by discovering that others have different opinions, don't we?

Bruce Manning
Member - 13 posts

I'm not for one minute criticising the idea of a pro-active approach to H&S, but hasn't Prof Haslam missed the obvious here - very profitable companies are more likely to be willing and able to spend the money that a pro-active approach requires. I think that in some cases she may be confusing cause and effect.

Bruce Manning
Member - 13 posts

I agree with David. Almost anyone who already has a job will already be at level 2 or above. I must have been approached by at leat 50 training companies offrering "free" training under the Train to Gain scheme, but the courses hitherto on offer have just not been relevant to the needs of industry. The only time I did send a group on one of these courses they all complained that it was a waste of time. So, does this new initiative open the door to getting Govt sponsorship for level 3, 4 & 5 courses in relevant technical subjects? I hope so, but for some reason I'm a bit sceptical.....

Bruce Manning
Member - 13 posts

About time too!! 99% of the school leavers I see are totally unprepared for the workplace. As a H&S advisor I shall be contacting the secondary schools in the area to see how we can encourage them to take up this initiative.

Bruce Manning
Member - 13 posts

Philip, if you are that much of a pedant, you might like to note that the correct spelling in this context is "coArse".

Bruce Manning
Member - 13 posts

Here we go again, knee-jerk reactions from ill-informed authorities trying to cover their backs because they are so afraid of legal action. All that does is encourage those who see opportunities for self-gain in the mistakes of others. We should remember that all the professional bodies in the field of Health & Safety have a similar mantra: Education before Litigation. Come to think of it, we should apply that to schools, hospitals, businesses and even to Government, please. Keeping a sense of proportion is crucial too.

Bruce Manning
Member - 13 posts

Regardless of the Data Protection Act implications, which I leave to the experts to comment on, I greatly applaud your company's approach to discouraging blatant misuse of disabled parking. This misuse has become the norm over the past two or three years, most often (it seems) by arrogant drivers of giant 4x4 vehicles which are often (a) empty and (b) two large to fit a standard parking bay. So, well done, whoever you are!