The main work carried out here is to do the paper-based part of SCUBA diving training. The only staffs there were Paul Whitehead, the manager of the shop, SCUBA instructor and equipment repair specialist, and Steve Goodman, who ran the sales part of the shop. Their rights were to stay safe in the work environment, and get equal treatment, and their responsibilities were to make sure the customers were safe while in the shop. The only other people I met were a couple of customers, and Keith who drove the delivery van. Their rights were to stay safe while in the shop, and their responsibilities were to not put themselves in danger. While there I had to alter my plan, as no one had time to answer the questions I wanted to ask them about health and safety and equal opportunities.
While on work experience I had to take stock, which meant climbing ladders. This could have been a health and safety risk, but, following health and safety rules, someone had to stand at the bottom and hold the ladder steady while I did. In the work place everyone has the follow the same rules, as everyone can be at risk from the same thing. I think this is fair, as no one is safe from dangerous activities in the work place, so they must follow the rules to keep safe. Everyone also has the same rights and responsibilities while at work, as they should all get treated the same, even if they are handicapped. This is fair, as changing the rules for different people would be discrimination.
In my time there, I found many warning signs, for example, a warning about compressed gas on the compressor room door, which is required by health and safety standards. I also found that most people working there thought equal opportunities were more important than health and safety, as no one should get discriminated for anything.
I think that equal opportunities in the work place are more important than health and safety, as it is unfair if one person cannot do something that someone else can. There is a lot more evidence that health and safety is more important, as it is easier to find, but this does not make it more important. Health and safety at my work experience placement wasn’t taken too seriously, as there is a lot of health and safety rules to do with compressed air cylinders and air compressors and SCUBA gear in general. Equal opportunities is easier to put into practice than health and safety, as most activities should allow for equal opportunities, the same is not true of health and safety.
Whilst there I took the monthly stock check for the store, which meant I saved the employees a couple of day’s work, which they could be getting on with. I also made the employees and customers beverages. Paul Whitehead was especially helpful to me, as he told me what to do, and how to do it all.
Most of my planning went as planned, I was busy throughout the week and so were the other employees, meaning I didn’t have time to interview them, but everything else went to plan. The methods I chose to collect evidence worked well, as they were easy to do and didn’t take too much time out of anyone’s day. I could have taken pictures of any warning signs, which I saw, which I could have put into my evidence about health and safety.
I have learnt that being a citizen in the workplace means I have the right to be treated equally to everyone else at all times, but at the same time remain safe. This has made me understand that all people should be treated equally. This experience will help me in the future, as I now know what it is like in the workplace.
