At last weeks STUC Congress in Aviemore, the work of PCS members in the National Museum of Scotland Branch deservedly received the Frank Maguire Award for Health and Safety for their work in trying to secure what, in normal circumstances, would be a reasonable adjustment for workers forced to stand for long periods during the course of their work, adequate seating to take occasional breaks to reduce strain and prevent long term work related limb disorders.
However what is a reasonable adjustment for most employers, appears not so for management in National Museum of Scotland who resolutely refuse to provide such seating for some of their floor staff, leading to a prolonged campaign by the PCS branch culminating in the recognition of their work by the STUC.
Museum bosses do not see this as a health and safety issue, yet most others would apart from perhaps right wing, anti employment rights media, the deregulatory UK Tory Government. The HSE advises that where possible appropriate seating should be provided to reduce the risk of, and prevent, lower limb disorders. Incidentally, in an extremely petty move the branch health and safety officer was refused time off to be in Aviemore for the presentation.
National Museum bosses are citing aesthetics as the reason for refusing the adjustment!! which must be one of the most bizarre reasons given for refusing a reasonable adjustment, and not one that is likely to stand up in court should a worker sustain a worker related limb disorder reducing their capacity to work or indeed one that ends in someone being dismissed on grounds of capability, a move that employers find all to easy to do. What would insurance companies say if they ripped out security systems and fire alarms
because they were not aesthetically pleasing to bosses.
The personal preferences of highly paid museum bosses on how PCS members workplaces should look is immaterial when considering the employers duty of care to provide safe and healthy work places that protect workers for injury or ill health. The union branch has carried out extensive workplace body mapping and presented evidence to bosses highlighting significant numbers of workers reporting muscle strain and limb disorders, evidence that goes ignored by bosses.
Scottih Hazards will be working with PCS members in the National Museum in an attempt to get Dr David Rintoul CBE see sense that continuing on this path exposes the museum to risk should members limb disorders require redress and we would have to question whether the NMS is ever going to be a fair work employer if they put appearences before workers rights.
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