Council workers trained on use of chainsaws - but can’t use them
“IT’S HEALTH AND SAFETY GONE MAD” SAYS CLLR TED LUCEY (FG)
TRAINING has been given to some council workers on using chainsaws, and the relevant working gear was bought – but yet, they cannot use them.
That was the scenario outlined at the recent Macroom Blarney municipal district meeting where councillors were discussing the recent ex-hurricane Ophelia which gripped the nation.
Landowners who facilitated council workers by clearing fallen trees from roads were praised, but Cllr Bob Ryan (FF) said that it was a tad ridiculous that some council workers cannot be trained to cut felled trees.
He said that during Storm Ophelia a tree fell down near him and three men came out of their homes with chainsaws and cut the fallen trees.
“We have fine abled bodied people and the council really needs to look into this,” he said.
Cllr Michael Creed (FG) said a council worker told him that he, along with others, had gone on a chainsaw course and gear had been bought – but they are not allowed to use them.
“In Cork City Council workers cut trees with chainsaws. Council workers should be allowed to cut trees ... obviously, no worker should ever be put in a dangerous position,” he said.
Cllr Des O’Grady (SF) said he had spoken at a meeting on the subject but did not get any support from management although members did support it.
“There are areas which are blackspots and the landowner has been written to but they won’t do anything about it. If a landowner is told to trim trees and doesn’t and it falls then the landowner should be billed for removing the tree,” he said.
Chairing the meeting, Cllr Kevin Conway (Ind) said if landowners are ignoring letters from the council on dangerous trees then the landowner must be ‘ brought to foot’ on it.
Cllr Ted Lucey (FG) said: “It really is health and safety gone overboard and common sense must prevail.”
Municipal District Officer Marie O’Leary said she would write to a safety officer and find out why chainsaws cannot be used by council workers.
Last year, a jury at Cork City Coroner’s Court returned a verdict of accidental death in the case of Cork County Council employee, father of three Michael O’Donovan (45), from Killeenleigh, Aghabullogue, who was fatally injured during tree clearing work at Arderrig, Carr’s Hill on November 23, 2012.
At the inquest, Sgt Fergus Twomey said the incident had been the subject of a Health and Safety Authority investigation which led to the prosecution of Photo by Sheila Fitzgerald
Cork County Council and the council being fined €48,000 for a breach of safety regulations.
The late Mr O’Donovan was not operating a chainsaw at the time of the accident.
During the recent Storm Ophelia, Tipperary man Michael Pyke was killed when he went out to cut up a tree that was blocking a road between the villages of Ballybrado and Cahir.