It's Health And Safety Gone Mad

We're about to move to a new office. This has taken months of work, preparation, planning and effort by a lot of people (on top of their day job) and we are in the run up to actually moving. Our team are the first to move, but the logistics are a little bit hectic – for example, the removal men are not picking up our packed boxes until a few days later. This means that for a few days, anything that’s been packed away will not be available for use. I mention this fact, almost in passing at a meeting with the team today to update them information about the move.

Immediately, a couple of the team start clucking and whispering things to each other and in the end I stop the presentation and ask if there is a problem, to which they both go on about what will or will not be available on the desks on the first day: so I reiterate that nothing will be transported to the new office until the weekend after we move, ready for the following Monday. Anything that is essential for the couple of days when personal/office items are not available should be carried. By this I mean laptop and telephone: everything else can probably wait.

More clucking and muttering to each other, and so I ask them to explain and share what the problem is here.

“Have we considered health and safety in this move?”

Me (in my head) “What the fuck are you on about?” (out loud) “Of course, but I am not sure what you mean: all items are being transported by the removal company, apart from your laptop and, if necessary, the telephone”

Response? “it’s a health and safety issue to carry the telephone from the car park to the office – especially if you are parked outside.”

Me: “Are you parked outside?”

“no”

I can begin to feel my blood boil. 

So I say that if they have got a real problem with lifting a telephone and transporting it to the new office, they could either get someone else to carry it for them or I will enquire as to whether they can move later and not move with the rest of the team. I should not have offered the latter, as immediately, and unbelievably, other ‘cluckers’ start to think about whether they want a delay too now, and I almost lose my temper, saying that I will only consider those people who have a genuine health and safety issue about moving the telephone, and that this offer is not for a general “Oh I have decided I want to delay because I am a lazy git and can’t be arsed to pack my stuff up in time” excuse.

It takes me the rest of the day to calm down.