Following on from the job creation Health and safety(they create jobs for themselves while getting rid of workers jobs) threads,how come bikes arent banned,

You need no training or licence to ride one,

You dont need any maintance schedules,

Sometimes you ride with your feet firmly attached to the pedals,

You wear a hat made of polystyrene ,which is inflamable,

You dont wear safety glasses,where there is a forseeable risk to the eyes,grit/mud etc,

There is little regulation over where you can ride,

and the list goes on,and on.

Fun is inversely proportional to safe.

They're not safe.

Sell me yours for £5 and I shall dispose of it in an appropriate manner.

http://cashforbikes.com

No, they're not safe. I have personal experience of this, so for your own safety I demand you hand your bikes over to me where I will see they are disposed of in a safe and responsible manner.

Prof Nutt (ACMD) pointed out 1 in 350 horse riding episodes results in "acute" injury, as opposed to 1 in 10,000 for use of ecstacy. On that scale I reckon MTB is more dangerous than horse riding, so why no war on bikes ??

shhh 😯

I reckon MTB is more dangerous than horse riding, so why no war on bikes ??

I volunteer to be the new Bike Czar.

Not safe or fun.You should all stop doing it right away. Oh and sell all your bits cheap on here.

you miss out that it's "health and safety at WORK" if your company provided you with a bike as an essential part of your job then it would be covered by risk assessment etc… what you do in your own time is not and will never be covered by health and safety regualtion. Thats why climbers are not covered by the working at height regs, but climbing instructors, outdoor centers, rope access workers are!

When I see the rickety sh1t that some people ride it makes me shudder to think.. £50 folding bikes that twist and contort.. old tourers with gashes in the tyres, ready to explode and throw them under a bus at any point. For commuters that share the roads with cars in such close proximity – as here in London there really should be bike MOTs to at least keep people safe. The problem is that most cycle commuters see it as a zero-cost option (esp young riders) and are really loath to spend money on their steed.

Rideing bikes more dangerous than horse riding, at least with a bike youve got less distance to fall,cyclists dont spit,or kick,or even rear up as you go past, and very few cylists of the female variety,look so sexy in those tight jodhuprs and black boots.

why is 'safe' a desirable and worthy state of existence? sounds pretty dreary to me. unsafe doesn't mean certain injury.

bikes are generally safe in most cases … with only one simple risk … the mental state of the nut in-between the saddle and the handlebar!

Prof Nutt (ACMD) pointed out 1 in 350 horse riding episodes results in "acute" injury

in the 80's (a long time ago) worked with the HSE on climbing wall management and of leisure activities horse riding by a mile followed by fishing came out top of the mortality/serious injury league
fishing! – because old codgers have heart attacks carrying all that kit and some get drunk in boats

i can easily see a time when landowners such as FE will be asking riders to declare that they are competent/have well maintained bikes/3rd party insurance before allowing them to ride – the argument that you can do it anyway on bridleways and roads etc doesn't hold well if you are inviting people on to your land by creating routes and an environment that encourages people to visit to ride

was at Hamsterly a few weeks back and saw the downhill section that i assume is privately run and i guess that you have to sign some sort of disclaimer and claim competence to ride it?

what tazzymtb is right in my book, however how does the cycle to work scheme sit in with this. They are in effect helping you get a bike and therefore H&S at work 1975 etc kicks in?

Fun is inversely proportional to safe.

Not strictly true is it, unless your other half is a psychopathic killer with her urges under controlled but triggered by sex.

Prof Nutt (ACMD) pointed out 1 in 350 horse riding episodes results in "acute" injury, as opposed to 1 in 10,000 for use of ecstacy. On that scale I reckon MTB is more dangerous than horse riding, so why no war on bikes ??

No way.

My wife rides and in a recent(ish) copy of Horse and Hound they had horse riding far up the dangerous scale – I can't remember (nor find) the results, but it was (circa) 10 times greater than motorcycling. And a lot of it is to do with either falling from a height or having the animal land on you…

however how does the cycle to work scheme sit in with this. They are in effect helping you get a bike and therefore H&S at work 1975 etc kicks in?

the situation could be compared to an employer providing a taxi/minibus service to get people to work – not working hours/not place of employment but since provided by the employer – employer will have a duty of care so could ask you to confirm your bike is being maintained per manual. (full stop as that would probably suffice)

the words "training" and "competent" may also need to be used maybe?

Our cycle to work scheme specifies that if I want to use the bike for business travel I have to go through the same process as if I was using a car – i.e. route planning, risk assessment etc etc all signed off by senior manager.

Plus the license agreement we signed had stuff about ensuring regular maintenance etc etc

could ask you to confirm your bike is being maintained per manual. (full stop as that would probably suffice)

I built my bike from parts, no manual to follow 🙂

the words "training" and "competent" may also need to be used maybe?

if you mean on the maintenance issue then i'm pretty sure this will be stated in the bike manual so is a redundant requirement

if you mean for riding to work i guess if there is a local training scheme then asking employees to enrol on it would be good practice but surely not mandatory if employee states is competent and this is recorded otherwise it is analogous with making all company vehicle drivers pass advanced motorists test – good but not essential

as to diy i'm sure a quick note from the stw massive to say that you've always acted on all info provided by this knowledgeable body would suffice – ?do you have a dremel?

Bikes are perfectly safe. It's the unsafe idiots that are riding them that I worry about!