6 of 24 - Safety culture in 1960's Cornwall
Later in life I remember seasoned tradesmen scoffing when it was suggested they receive formal training in the use of ladders. “Used one since I was a lad,” they’d say, as if repetition were equivalent to rigour. And to be fair, if you've been using ladders without instruction for a few decades, you’ve likely learned the hard way what constitutes a safe angle and what doesn’t. Pain is a thorough teacher. But for the uninitiated—for the apprentice on his first rung—a few minutes of training could be the difference between a confident descent and a broken spine. Ladders are involved in more falls than any other workplace equipment, and falls from height remain the leading cause of fatal injuries at work. It’s remarkable, really, how much hazard hides behind common design. Take the bedpan—another simple tool. Misusing a bedpan might not kill you, but it can leave a dent in your pride that never quite buffs out. In hospitals, injuries aren’t always marked by broken bones; sometimes...