[access-uk] Re: Discrimination or simple comon sence.
- From: Brendan Magill <brendan@xxxxxxxxxxxx>
- To: access-uk@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
- Date: Wed, 02 Mar 2005 20:57:51 +0000
Hi Andy,
Firstly, congratulations on getting the new job; I hope it goes
well for you.
Access to Work is more and more frequently requesting that employers
undertake health and safety risk assessments, so no surprise there.
What is strange is the way your new employer's health and safety officer
has responded. If having a vision impaired person working on the second
floor is too great a risk, then that impacts on a great many people and
jobs that I know of. There is a building in Birmingham where there are
two VIPs, one of them totally blind, working on the eighteenth floor.
The most likely reason for the health and safety officer taking this
line is that he is simply protecting his own back. Two other
possibilities immediately come to mind, though there could be many other
reasons. Firstly, the employer may have some unofficial reason for not
wanting to employ people who have disabilities; they may be using the
risk assessment as a way of discouraging such employment. Secondly,
they may be trying to use your disability as a way of getting ATW to
fund building of the second fire escape. Maybe I'm being a bit cynical,
but I've seen things like this happen.
And surely, if there are risks for you at work, then there are risks
whether you are working in the office or are out and about visiting
clients, attending meetings or whatever.
I'd put my money on this guy just being a Jobsworth, but you never know.
Cheers,
Brendan.
--
BRENDAN MAGILL
Business, Employment &
Disability Consultancy
8 York Place
Worcester
WR1 3DR
England
Phone: +44 (0)1905 28286
Fax: +44 (0)870 127 7856
Web: www.magill.co.uk
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