Health and safety is something we must all take seriously, expecially when using heavy machinery, whether it be in a factory, industrial area or farm.
However whilst out taking pictures on a farm yesterday, and possibly pushing my luck a little bit, it struck me, if something happened, it wouldn't be me that got in trouble, it would be the business owner. In this case the farmer Is this fair?
Years ago when I first started, working you could virtually do anything in order to get the picture, now year by year it seems Health and Safety rules get tighter and tighter. I agree things needed to be tighten up so people who in the past were expolited are not and yes there needs to be a set of guides lines, but surely there should be a diffenttiation between people that come onto a property and choose to take the risk, and someone being asked to do something that may comproisme health and safety.
The time I really started to notice a shift in attitudes was in the last decade. In the latter half I was shooting an agricultural show for the exhibition company who were organising it. It was a two day event and one of the shots I need was a view of the show from the air, with no budget to hire a helicopter, over night I hatched a plan, to ask one of the tractor manufactures if I could go up in the bucket of a Telehandler, that was on display. There was one positioned perfectly in a corner at one end of the show ground.
Next morning I approached a sales people and ask if they could oblige. Well I was surprised by his reaction, however after hearing what he said, I could fully understand.
He said if they did that and got seen by H&S, potentially they could be fined up to 50,000 GBP . Whether I got hurt doing it or not. This is my point, it was my risk, my responsibly, so why should they be sanctioned for it.
Clearly the shot I was after wasn't going to happen.
To make my point about having to take risks, to get the shot here is an image I took some years ago on the cliff's of the Seven sisters, nr Burling Gap, East suxxex. This image was shot with no harness just me a camera and the envireoment I was in.
I took a bit of a risk getting it, but it was a calculated risk and at least no one would have got the blame if I fell. Not been up there for years, but it wouldn't surpise at all it was not fenced off these days.
I have choosen this image purely as an example as to what I mean about taking risks and for no other reason. I have not used a farming image with this blog as I wouldn't want any come back on anyone.
My main point to this, is surely if someone with no connection to a business and not likely to hurt anybody else but themselves, should be allowed to take responsiblity for their own actions, without the risk of someone else being in trouble with the health and safety executive.
These are just purely my own views from the experiences I have found, being a photographer over the last 20 years.
However whilst out taking pictures on a farm yesterday, and possibly pushing my luck a little bit, it struck me, if something happened, it wouldn't be me that got in trouble, it would be the business owner. In this case the farmer Is this fair?
Years ago when I first started, working you could virtually do anything in order to get the picture, now year by year it seems Health and Safety rules get tighter and tighter. I agree things needed to be tighten up so people who in the past were expolited are not and yes there needs to be a set of guides lines, but surely there should be a diffenttiation between people that come onto a property and choose to take the risk, and someone being asked to do something that may comproisme health and safety.
The time I really started to notice a shift in attitudes was in the last decade. In the latter half I was shooting an agricultural show for the exhibition company who were organising it. It was a two day event and one of the shots I need was a view of the show from the air, with no budget to hire a helicopter, over night I hatched a plan, to ask one of the tractor manufactures if I could go up in the bucket of a Telehandler, that was on display. There was one positioned perfectly in a corner at one end of the show ground.
Next morning I approached a sales people and ask if they could oblige. Well I was surprised by his reaction, however after hearing what he said, I could fully understand.
He said if they did that and got seen by H&S, potentially they could be fined up to 50,000 GBP . Whether I got hurt doing it or not. This is my point, it was my risk, my responsibly, so why should they be sanctioned for it.
Clearly the shot I was after wasn't going to happen.
To make my point about having to take risks, to get the shot here is an image I took some years ago on the cliff's of the Seven sisters, nr Burling Gap, East suxxex. This image was shot with no harness just me a camera and the envireoment I was in.
I took a bit of a risk getting it, but it was a calculated risk and at least no one would have got the blame if I fell. Not been up there for years, but it wouldn't surpise at all it was not fenced off these days.
I have choosen this image purely as an example as to what I mean about taking risks and for no other reason. I have not used a farming image with this blog as I wouldn't want any come back on anyone.
My main point to this, is surely if someone with no connection to a business and not likely to hurt anybody else but themselves, should be allowed to take responsiblity for their own actions, without the risk of someone else being in trouble with the health and safety executive.
These are just purely my own views from the experiences I have found, being a photographer over the last 20 years.
