Health and Safety Gone MAAAAD!!!!

[stevebrown]

Originally Posted by snetmarshal

well another issue i was advised of at snet this weekend, is that marshals are not allowed to be touching a car once the breakdown truck arrives and is doing a full lift. Where as before we would help guide it whislt being lifted etc, evidently we should have nothing to do with the lift process anymore. Anyother new rules come in due to those health and safetly bods?

I hadn't heard that one and I assisted in two lifts on Monday. None of the recovery crew said anything. And I know Alec would. Just who is making these rules but not making sure they are passed on?

Steve B

[snetmarshal]

this is very true steve, Alec always lets you know!!! lol

Just think it would be good to have the situation clarified as we dont want to be unco-operative. But as i work in insurance and dealing with injury claims, I can understand why clubs will want to ensure the correct rules and procedures are followed

[johnw]

Originally Posted by Sheila M

The indemnity required to be signed by all competitors (B.9.4 of the Blue Book) states:.....I declare that I am physically and mentally fit to take part in the event and I am competent to do so.....

Well, I guess that we are all in breach from the start Sheila!

[Dave Brand]

Originally Posted by Hepatic

Seriously, bikes don't have too many issues as they are designed to catch any leaking fluid.

I'd say that we treat just as many, if not more, oil spills at a bike meeting as we do at a car meeting.

The ACU does mandate catch tanks in the fairing, which do help to contain a lot of the spillages, but they don't necessarily catch everything - the specification states that they must be able to contain at least half the fluid contents of the engine, with a minimum capacity of 5 litres. However, there are a lot of spills which a catch tank can't contain, e.g. a broken oil line, crankcase shattered when a bike crashes, etc. Sidecars are subject to very strict rules on fluid containment - engine compartment must be fully enclosed & lined with oil-absorbent foam.

One problem we don't (or shouldn't!) get with bikes is antifreeze spills - the use of anything other than plain water in cooling system is illegal.

[Gordon Knight]

Wizard Wheeze Dave it took me quite a few minutes before my O Level chemistry
kicked in.....this dihydrogen monoxide stuff gets everywhere doesn't it.!!!!

[Dave Brand]

Originally Posted by Gordon Knight

Wizard Wheeze Dave it took me quite a few minutes before my O Level chemistry
kicked in.....

It never fails to catch at least one! andymfell was first to spot it - he PM'ed me yesterday so as not to spoil the fun!

this dihydrogen monoxide stuff gets everywhere doesn't it.!!!!

The sky looks full of it right now!

[Gordon Knight]

Sorry Dave,
It was not my intention to give the game away, that's why I kept my
response cryptic. Being an amateur on this forum I am not sure how to go about
a PM and I don't have your e-mail address.
Regards
Gordon

[Dave Brand]

Originally Posted by Gordon Knight

Sorry Dave,
It was not my intention to give the game away,

No problem....I was just wondering who'd be first!

[goforit500]

I feel a 1P on me bonce and the lights just went on....Doh......:-)

[Alan Green]

Back on thread, and not sure if this is related, but after our Derek Bell Trophy pile-up on Sunday at Donington we had a split radiator oozing coolant and nasties onto the damp track at Redgate. The circuit staff came round with a pressure washer and a water bowser to wash the surface. I'm sure they do this midweek after a meeting to keep the track surface from further damage (as stated in an earlier posting), but I'd never seen it used during a meting before. Ifthe track had been dry enough to use it, we still had the cement (or plaster) dust to use on spillages (as seen on Craner in great quantities at the end of the day following the historic saloons).

Also from the same incident we had four full lifts. Big single seaters on strops with dangling wheels or bodywork. We all knew what was going where, where we needed to be, and had no problem with grabbing the car on the other side to guide it down.

Back to basics - be well trained, work as a team, watch and listen to what is happening, and know how to use the equipment you're working with, whatever it may be (cement, plaster, granules, jcbs, hiabs, sweeping brushes, fairy liquid, etc.).

Al.

[Dave Brand]

Originally Posted by Alan Green

The circuit staff came round with a pressure washer and a water bowser to wash the surface. I'm sure they do this midweek after a meeting to keep the track surface from further damage (as stated in an earlier posting), but I'd never seen it used during a meting before.

I've seen it done during a bike meeting at Croft, on a wet track.

[Dave Brand]

Originally Posted by goforit500

I feel a 1P on me bonce and the lights just went on....Doh......:-)

[Dave Brand]

Originally Posted by Hepatic

Is "How to treat a spillage" covered in the incident training?

It's something that's best learnt 'on the job'. There was an excellent article, by Mike Farnworth, on 'Oil Dressing' in the September 2004 issue of trackside; well worth reading.

[Sheila M]

Originally Posted by Dave Brand

It's something that's best learnt 'on the job'. There was an excellent article, by Mike Farnworth, on 'Oil Dressing' in the September 2004 issue of trackside; well worth reading.

Indeed it is worth learning "on the job", as long as the person teaching the art is not over-enthusiastic with the application of the cement/plaster dust.

If I have a spillage in the pit lane, I prefer to use the absolute minimum amount of plaster simply to keep the dust down and out of my eyes (see previous my previous post about this!) I find it's a lot easier to add more than to remove far too much, but that's women's logic for you!

[flagwaver]

Dust IS the issue here, as somone who works in the concrete industry I can asure you all that if we released into the atmosphere as much cement that is usally kicked up at a circuit after an oil spill, we would be required by law to inform the Environment Agency. Cement is not a nice product & the sooner we can use something else the better. The company that sponserd the Scotish rally championship for a couple of years (New Pig I think they are called) make oil spill kits.

[Sheila M]

Originally Posted by flagwaver

Dust IS the issue here, as somone who works in the concrete industry I can asure you all that if we released into the atmosphere as much cement that is usally kicked up at a circuit after an oil spill, we would be required by law to inform the Environment Agency. Cement is not a nice product & the sooner we can use something else the better. The company that sponserd the Scotish rally championship for a couple of years (New Pig I think they are called) make oil spill kits.

Good point, flagwaver. Do you think we marshals need to be re-educated in the AMOUNT of cement or plaster dust we use on a spill? Far too many people seem to think that a large spillage of oil requires a large application of dust all in one go.

[EvilPumpkin]

I think that it would be a good idea to cover it in training. Personally, I go for the minimalist "as long as they can see the line, we're sorted" approach - but I have worked with many marshals (in Ireland and the UK) that seem to believe that the amount of cement being put down should be at least double the amount of oil - leading to longer brushing times, clouds of dust for the drivers and the ever popular breaking up the tarmac over time.

I have to say, with one exception, I don't remember anyone ever telling me that I should only put down enough to mark it. I just figured it out over time.

[chezza]

We had it covered in our training this year, and a bit of fun was made with it too...we had speed oil dressing. Guidance was given as what we should be doing and as we had to do it as a "race" we learnt not to put to much dust down and to get it done quickly.

[jim69]

How long before the Health and Saftey people decide that "MOTOR RACING IS DANGEROUS" and ban it altogether!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[275 GTB-4]

Originally Posted by johnw

I think that they must be using the same in our local bakery.

Hmmmm well I have used it and it is quite a sensual feeling sliding your hands down into it....goosebump city!! But it is way too course for bread lad...high fibre with splinters!!

[chezza]

Originally Posted by jim69

How long before the Health and Saftey people decide that "MOTOR RACING IS DANGEROUS" and ban it altogether!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

They better not...!

[275 GTB-4]

Originally Posted by chezza

They better not...!

The squeaky wheel groups and NIMBYs in my patch have forced the local car festival to undergo an OH&S assessment for nasty tyre smoke and noise......these sort of events aren't exactly my cuppa tea, but for goodness sake

http://www.summernats.com.au/

[Hepatic]

Originally Posted by 275 GTB-4

The squeaky wheel groups and NIMBYs in my patch have forced the local car festival to undergo an OH&S assessment for nasty tyre smoke and noise......these sort of events aren't exactly my cuppa tea, but for goodness sake

http://www.summernats.com.au/

....and then there's the noise nuisance order that has been served to Castle Combe. This is how morotsport will be killed if we're not careful, we already have curfews and the bill for Oulton Park this year seems somewhat smaller than it was last year, alledgedly due to more complaints from the locals. Health and Safety is fine, but we need it in moderation. Most accidents occur in the home but you don't see anyone banning us from there!!!

[JLD]

Originally Posted by Hepatic

Most accidents occur in the home but you don't see anyone banning us from there!!!

if that's the case I'd better get to somewhere safer..............I'm off to the pub.

[flagwaver]

My dad told me I was the result of an accident at home, does that mean I'm a statistic?