Firefighters told to 'use common sense' - The Scotsman

Firefighters told to 'use common sense' - The Scotsman
"Fire services will be told to follow new 'non-bureaucratic' guidelines and take a 'sensible' approach to hazardous incidents under a new policy unveiled by the Health and Safety Executive.

HSE chiefs said the guidelines aimed to ensure firefighters could do their jobs properly without employers flouting safety legislation. Brigade unions welcomed the ruling, saying a balance had to be struck between safety rules and allowing fire crews to do their job.

But one MP called for a complete overhaul of safety guidelines and their impact on rescues after the conclusion of a fatal accident inquiry into the death of Alison Hume.

The 44-year-old, from Galston in Ayrshire, spent six hours at the bottom of a pit because Strathclyde Fire and Rescue was banned from using rope equipment to rescue members of the public.

Mrs Hume, who suffered head and chest injuries after plunging 60ft, died shortly after being brought to the surface from the disused shaft 120 yards from her home."