Brancheau death highlights importance of health & safety
A horrific scene unfolded at Seaworld, Florida when spectators watched trainer Dawn Brancheau as she was pulled under water during a public performance by killer whale Tillikum. Tilli has been living in captivity for decades in the sea-life park. He weighs around five-tonnes, and has been involved in two previous deaths at the park. Brancheau was one of the few people who was experienced and confident enough to work closely with him. It is thought that her pony tail fell forward towards Tilli’s face, and he may have mistaken it for a fish.
Whatever the cause, Ms. Brancheau’s tragic death has raised many questions. Firstly, it is well known to marine biologists and those who work with the animals that killer whales do not take well to a captive environment. These animals are used to scaling vast distances of oceanic waters and, understandably, find the small, isolated tanks in which they are forced to live, extremely stressful. So why do we continue to hold them in captivity?
Secondly, if it was known that this animal was particularly dangerous or prone to variations in mood and character, could there not have been more precautionary and safety measures put in place to prevent such an awful incident?
Seaworld is facing intense scrutiny by the public and press as it reopened its performances of Tilli the whale saying that it is doing so in the interest of maintaining the animal’s health and well being. It does leave one questioning whether the health and safety measures of certain companies are rigorous enough to protect their employees.
While most of us don’t have to do risk assessments involving killer whales, employers have a responsibility to take steps to ensure that their employees, and indeed visitors and even trespassers, are safe on their company premises.
The Health and Safety Executive (HSE), set up to create and maintain safe working environments in the UK, states that in general, employers must “make the workplace safe and eliminate or control risks to health” and at the same time “give workers the information, instruction, training and supervision necessary for their health and safety” (see http://www.hse.gov.uk/).
It is a legal requirement that every business in the UK assesses the risks in their workplace and writes a detailed health and safety policy, as well as displaying the Health and Safety Law poster where it is accessible to all employees. As an employer, you are also required to provide basic welfare facilities (such as toilets, drinking water and a comfortable environment in which to work). Of course, different industries and roles have different risks and the idea or “comfortable” can differ greatly depending on the individual and their work environment. For example, an office worker will expect to have a warm, dry place to work with a desk and good lighting; a park warden on the other hand won’t expect to be dry and well-lit, but will need to be kept warm and given appropriate footwear to carry out his job.
Every business is different and every workplace requires a tailored assessment to make certain that it is, as much as possible, a safe and pleasant place to work. If you are concerned about health and safety in your workplace or would like to find out more about taking care of your employees, Russell HR Consulting provides expert knowledge in the practical application of employment law. For more information, contact us on 0845 644 8955 or e-mail pm@russellhrconsulting.co.uk.
By Darry Khajehpour