I attended a Ray White open home today. Propped up by the door was one of those factory/construction site-type posters advising visitors of the various site hazards. I presumed it was brought home from work by the tenant as a joke.
Then as I signed the register, the agent waved a laminated H & S sheet in my face. It had spaces to put property-specific hazards on it. At this house, they included the fact that the house was on a street, and there might be, you know, cars going past. Also that there was a logfire in the house (no sh!t, the register was sitting on the cold-as-a-grave burner) which was a hazard despite it being a sunny afternoon and the tenants were out. And potentially slippery surfaces (unpainted, bone-dry concrete steps).
Poor agent was quite embarrassed as she went through, pointing out the hazards.
This is madness. Although it could be argued that she is in a place of work and that her agency has a duty of care to make agents aware of potential hazards that they might come across in properties (although if they weren't smart enough to do that, what the hell are they doing, selling houses?) but as a punter I am not in a workplace and the new legislation doesn't apply to me. What a lot of cost and palaver over nothing!
Then as I signed the register, the agent waved a laminated H & S sheet in my face. It had spaces to put property-specific hazards on it. At this house, they included the fact that the house was on a street, and there might be, you know, cars going past. Also that there was a logfire in the house (no sh!t, the register was sitting on the cold-as-a-grave burner) which was a hazard despite it being a sunny afternoon and the tenants were out. And potentially slippery surfaces (unpainted, bone-dry concrete steps).
Poor agent was quite embarrassed as she went through, pointing out the hazards.
This is madness. Although it could be argued that she is in a place of work and that her agency has a duty of care to make agents aware of potential hazards that they might come across in properties (although if they weren't smart enough to do that, what the hell are they doing, selling houses?) but as a punter I am not in a workplace and the new legislation doesn't apply to me. What a lot of cost and palaver over nothing!
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