Health and Safety in the Workplace

Yesterday I attended the worst training day I have ever been on. It was on 'Health and Safety in the Workplace' and it was painfully boring. Now I know that to most people this isn't the most exciting of topics but I do believe that most subjects, if presented in the right way can still be reasonably interesting. This was not.

We entered the room and were sat at tables which were in two lines along the length of the room, facing each other. What amused me was that in a course where they talked extensively about how we should look out for the ergonomics of our desks and make sure we are not twisting to see our computer screens we had to sit twisting all day in order to face the front of the room where the trainer and the projection screen were.

We sat at these tables ALL DAY, from 9am to 5pm. We did not leave the room except to go to the toilet. The session was run by 2 men, one was actually reasonably good - he had a fairly expressive voice, cracked a few jokes and told us a few interesting stories of workplaces he had visited where there were Health and Safety risks. Unfortunately it was the other guy that ran most of the day. He had a seriously monotone voice and absolutely NO sense of humour. He was obviously very very interested in Health and Safety (good thing as it's his job - fair enough) but was not able to communicate his interest and knowledge in a way that could engage us.

By half way through the afternoon it was clear that everyone there was losing the will to live. If the trainer guy had any kind of self awareness or people skills I think he would have noted that the body language of everyone in the room was telling him that they were bored and frustrated. One of my colleagues fell asleep and I had to poke him with a pencil and another one of my colleagues started throwing pencils around.

I really do appreciate the importance of good Health and Safety Policies in the workplace and of course I am concerned to do all I can to keep the staff and the congregation safe, however I really think it is a waste of my time to have a 40 minute lecture on how to use a ladder safely. In December I climbed a high stepladder in order to decorate our 10 foot Christmas tree at church. 2 of my colleagues helped me, one held the ladder and one passed decorations up to me. The ladder was safe and secure the work mates were responsible. Following my discussion with this trainer I was informed that only people who have received training on how to use a ladder and deemed competent in ladder usage should be allowed to perform such tasks and that next Christmas I should consider either:

1) Not having a Christmas tree at church.
2) Having a much smaller tree so that I do not need a ladder decorate it.
3) Getting some scaffolding to erect around the tree and using this to climb up to decorate it.
4) Hiring a 'cherry picker' electrical extendable platform to stand on and decorate the tree.

I am toying with the idea of finding out about local 'ladder safety courses' and attending what I'm sure will have to be a 3 week intensive course with a full examination on ladder handling techniques, after which I will take great joy in changing my job title to Mel Burley - PA to the Vicar/Church Office Coordinator/Ladder handling Coordinator.

PCC

Why are PCC meetings soooooooo loooooooong??

Bass Guitar

I got a bass guitar for Christmas last year from my gorgeous husband. I really wanted one. I chose it myself. I was really pleased with it and excited about learning to play it.

Problem is I can be sooo lazy! I have hardly picked it up over the past year and although it makes an attractive and funky looking peice of furniture in our lounge, that wasn't really the idea.

So, I have to decided to act as if I got it this Christmas and recapture the excitment of owning a very cool instrument and dammit if I won't learn to play the thing and become that very funky looking female band member loitering in the background that I had pictured.

So my friends, you have my permission - and in fact my plea - to keep on asking me how I'm getting on with learning to play my bass. Perhaps if I feel guilty enough about letting people down if I don't practice that will give me enough incentive to get off my ass and do it!!

"Oooo, deep psychological problems of needing to please people Mel?" I hear you say - maybe, but if it works in this instance I'll go with it.

Goodbye 2006

Well, 2006 was a strange year. When I think of it I kind of tag the last few months of 2005 on to it - that's when we moved to Cambridge, Rich went back to full time education and I changed my job, quite a few times.....

So, you are the honoured readers of one of my few instances of going against the prescribed way of doing things, as my look back at last year is really a look at sept 05 - sept 06.

Job positions I have had:
1) Teaching Assistant at 3 different special needs schools working with children from age 5-18 with a whole range of special needs.
2) Notetaker at Cambridge University taking notes in palaeography lectures.
3) Nursery helper.
4) Interpreter for deaf actor David Sands (winner of best actor at the Remark Film and TV awards) at rehearsels for a play in London.
5) Receptionist for a company called Aveva.
6) Teaching Assistant using sign language for a 6 year old deaf boy.
7) Teaching Assistant for a 10 year old girl with cerebral palsy.
8) Production assistant for the Active hands company.
9) Job focus tutor for Power to work - helping people with mental health problems and learning difficulties to write their CV's and learn basic skills.

New experiences:
1) Going on strike!
2) Being made redundant (not related to going to strike thankfully).
3) Travelling to the other side of the world and seeing the beautiful sights of Australia, New Zealand and Singapore, as well as the very smelly Hong Kong. Holiday blog
4) Paragliding, parasailing, snorkelling with sharks and turtles, scuba diving (well almost), full-day hike on a glacier.
5) Cycling as my main mode of transport.
6) Driving - finally took my test in March.

Worst bits:
1) Mum being diagnosed with bone cancer and everything involved in that.
2) Leaving so many close freinds in Leamington, who I still really miss.
3) Accepting that a job in sign langauge wasn't going to happen at this time of my life.

Best bits:
1) Making new friends and getting to know people in Cambridge.
2) A great few days post Christmas with my Mum, Dad, Brother, Rich and Jo.
3) The barn weekend in Wales.
4) A couple of comedy punting trips - particularly one after a few pints.

Best films - some older some newer:
1) Crash.
2) Serenity.
3) Love Actually.
4) Metropolis.

Best gigs:
1) Beth Orton at the Corn Exchange.
2) The Infidels at Soul Tree.
3) Jem at the Junction.
4) The Delays at the Junction.

Favourite foods/drinks of the last year:
1) Bread (nothing new there).
2) Sherry!
3) Duck pancakes.
4) Mango chutney.