SCENARIO

Kitchen Craft is a domestic kitchen renovation organisation that has been managed
by the owner since it opened 15 years ago. It is located on a busy main road in a city.
It is comprised of a main brick building that is painted. This building contains display
kitchens for customers to view, an office space, and rest facilities for workers. A large
warehouse behind the main building stores the kitchen stock and products ready for
shipping. The workforce consists of 10 sales workers and 20 warehouse workers on
various shift patterns.

The owner is enthusiastic about maintaining good sales figures and having the latest
kitchens on display. They spend most of their time with the sales workers in the main
building planning these display kitchens, meeting with customers, and making sales.
As a result, the warehouse workers deal with issues themselves. There is an informal
hierarchy in the warehouse where the longest serving workers feel that they are
justified in telling the newer or younger workers what to do. In the past, the owner
threatened the security of workers’ jobs when they asked for help. As a result, the
owner is only approached with issues when it is unavoidable. Worker B, who has
worked at Kitchen Craft since it opened, is the longest-serving warehouse worker and
is often looked to for guidance by the other warehouse workers.

In the last year, the number of near misses and accidents recorded in the warehouse
has been slowly increasing. Noticing this, Worker B has become concerned and has
repeatedly asked for help from the owner to improve health and safety in the
warehouse. The owner has often dismissed these requests as unimportant, so has
provided insufficient equipment and funds. The owner’s reasoning is that workers
simply need to be more careful, and it is more important to use resources in the main
building, which is more visible to customers.

On one occasion, the owner told Worker B that Kitchen Craft has sufficient risk
assessments and a health and safety policy, and workers should know about these.
Concerned that they had never seen these documents, Worker B asked for copies.
The owner produced them from a locked filing cabinet in their office. The policy was
signed and dated five years ago, and the risk assessments pre-date this.

Recently, the owner of Kitchen Craft has been preparing for renovations to the main
building. As part of the renovations, the owner is having the organisation’s branding
redesigned by an external contractor. This contractor will also install a large sign with
the new branding on the exterior wall of the main building. To reduce costs, the
owner plans to have warehouse workers carry out the task of preparing the wall’s
surface. They have asked Worker B to co-ordinate this task. The owner has explained
that the contractor is due the following week, so Worker B needs to have this task
completed in the next two days. Worker B asked if they would have to do overtime to
complete this task, as it is currently a very busy time in the warehouse. The owner
frustratedly replied that Worker B would have to fit in the task around their regular
workload.

The wall preparation task

The wall is approximately 6.1 metres (20 feet) high and next to the main road.
Brushes and scrapers will be used to remove surface dirt, loose paint, and masonry
from the wall to prepare it. Any damaged render on the wall will then be repaired with
wall filler and filling knives. Finally, a coat of exterior masonry paint will be applied to
the entire wall using paint rollers.

The owner explains the task to Worker B and tells them where to find the equipment.
They also give them access to an old scissor lift (a type of mobile elevated work
platform/MEWP) that is stored outdoors, behind the warehouse. Worker B has never
used a MEWP before but remembers that, during Worker C’s recent induction training,
Worker C mentioned that they have experience using MEWPs from a previous
employment. On the day of the wall preparation task, Worker B informs Worker C that
they will be needed for the task. Worker C agrees to help, but comments that it is
unseasonably hot today, so it is unfortunate that they cannot work in the air-
conditioned warehouse.

The workers go to the warehouse to collect the equipment needed for the task. This
takes longer than expected as the scissor lift is not a model that Worker C has used
before. Worker C asks Worker B where they can find safety harnesses and lanyards to
secure themselves inside the scissor lift. Worker B responds that they do not think
this equipment is available, but it is not something to worry about. Worker C notices
that there is rust on the scissor lift, and many of the control markings are worn or
illegible. Since they were employed recently, Worker C does not want to cause any
trouble, so continues with the task despite their concerns. They eventually manage to
drive the scissor lift into position next to the wall. Once in place, the workers begin
preparing the wall.

The accident

Later that day, the workers have finished repairing the damaged render and have
started painting. Worker B decides that they will need more paint than expected and
has to collect it from the warehouse while Worker C continues working outside.
Worker B lowers the scissor lift and steps out. As Worker C is raising the scissor lift
back into position, they shout over the noise of the traffic to Worker B. They ask them
to hurry, as working in the heat is unbearable, and to throw to them a bottle of
drinking water that is on the ground.

Worker B throws the bottle, but trips on a loose paving stone which affects their aim.
Worker C overreaches to catch the bottle, leaning against the scissor lift gate. The
gate clasp fails, the gate swings open and the worker falls, narrowly missing a
passing pedestrian. They land on their side, on the concrete road below. They had
only raised the scissor lift a short distance when they fell. Worker B rushes into the
road to help. At the same time, a car is travelling down the road at a high speed and
the driver has to swerve to avoid hitting the workers.

Worker C is shocked by the accident and their shoulder begins to hurt, so Worker B
takes them directly indoors to the empty rest area to sit and calm down. The owner
notices them sitting down and asks why they are not working. Worker B follows the
owner to their office and explains what happened. The owner tells them that it was
obviously their own fault and to be more careful. They tell them to go back outside so
that the equipment is not left unattended. Worker B responds that they know it was a
mistake, but Worker C is visibly distressed and, since there is no first-aider on shift,
Worker C should be sent to hospital in case they are injured. An argument between
Worker B and the owner develops, and results in Worker B leaving work without
permission, to take Worker C to the hospital. Furious, the owner sends another
warehouse worker outdoors to complete the wall preparation task and to retrieve the
equipment.

As a result of the accident, Worker C has significant bruising to their shoulder and
arm, and requires time off work to recover.

Task 2: Health and safety morals

1. What was unacceptable about the moral approach to managing health and safety
when the accident occurred? (10)

Note: You should support your answer, where applicable, using relevant
information from the scenario.