A health and safety row has erupted in Orkney over the practice of ‘pier jumping’.
The pastime is a fairly common sight in the county in the summer months, with younger folk launching themselves off piers and into the sea for amusement.
But things were a bit more serious in the chamber at a recent Orkney Islands Council meeting.
The subject arose as the result of a recent safety audit at the county’s harbours was discussed.
The council’s head of marine services Jim Buck indicated that there will need to be an end to pier jumping in future.
However, the council convener, Graham Bevan, spoke up in defence of the practice.
He said the council “shouldn’t use a sledgehammer to crack a nut” when implementing new safety rules.
The discussion took place on Tuesday as part of a Harbours Authority sub-committee meeting.
The sub-committee was working through a critical watchdog inspection of Orkney harbour staff.
A crackdown on pier jumping on the horizon?
Mr Buck pointed out that the audit took into account “the whole range of marine life”.
This included looking at all those who use the harbours, including visitors.
He said some changes have already been made, at great difficulty, and there are more to come – one of which may prove to be divisive.
He said: “That goes to people allowing their kids to jump off piers and harbours when there’s a three-metre drop on either side.
“It’s not something we would recommend or wish but it’s a customer practice that is difficult to change.
“I know it’s been done regularly and routinely through Orcadian life.
“It’s something we can’t have going forward because of the danger that presents to life and limb. There’s a lot of work to be done.”
The chairman of the sub-committee, councillor David Dawson, said it should be stressed that new safety decisions aren’t about “restricting the public’s interest” at the harbours.
However, he added: “We have to be conscious, particularly in the litigious society that we live, that there are dangers there.
“We have to mitigate those risks and that is what we’re working towards.”
Pier jumping: a defence
However, council convener Graham Bevan defended the activity, saying he’d enjoyed it when he was a boy.
He said: “A little defence for the pier jumpers – I have to confess I was one myself in my youth.
“It does allow them to learn to jump off a height into the water safely.
“In that context, it’s a great exercise that all youngsters should do. But not in the context of a dangerous harbour environment.
“Piers are really fascinating places and can be safe if managed with that sort of reality of a local community.
“I would like to see piers being safe when they need to be safe but not shut down. Shutting down access to things is quite draconian.”
Council issues plea to consider safety
Following the meeting, the council was asked to clarify its position on pier jumping.
While the local authority doesn’t wish “to ruin anyone’s fun” it’s also not recommending the practice and asked the public to consider their safety.
Speaking today, a spokesman said: “We recognise that pier jumping in Orkney is something that for many has become embedded in Orcadian life.
“On a bonny day, children, young people and adults enjoy spending time around our fantastic coastline in and out of the water.
“Whilst we do not wish to spoil anyone’s fun, we all have a responsibility to keep people safe and ensure everyone gets home to their families following a day out.
“That is why we have highlighted the inherent dangers in pier jumping as an activity.
“Quite simply, it is dangerous and not something we would recommend.
“We don’t want to spoil your fun, we just want to keep you safe.”
What were the wider findings of the audit?
This is all related to just one aspect of the audit’s findings.
When the auditors visited back in November 2022, little progress had been made on recommendations delivered back in December 2020.
The auditors also picked up on a “common culture among the staff of relying upon custom and practice rather than referring to set laid down procedures and risk assessments.”
“A history of insufficient staff” to conduct the day-to-day operations was picked up on, which included some key posts being empty.
Despite the negative findings of the audit, councillors were keen to give their support to the teams involved with the harbours.
Most paid tribute to the effort being put in by the staff
They also seemed reassured by the explanations given by Mr Buck. He described overstretched teams focused on the day-to-day operation of services.
Mr Buck reminded the councillors that they are running the UK’s 14th largest port by gross tonnage and personnel.
He also pointed out that the audit report said they “are exceeding our statutory requirements but there are areas we can work on”.
Council agreed to put itself under ‘intense scrutiny’ with ‘voluntary’ audit
Part of the reason the councillors were so accepting of the findings may be that the audit carried out was a voluntary one.
Chairman of the sub-committee David Dawson stressed that in inviting the audit, they were “setting themselves up for intense scrutiny”.
However, there was also a recognition that these teams have been under a fair amount of pressure.
This is an issue that Mr Buck said may go as far back as 2007.
That is when staff cuts were made at the council, including at the harbours department.
Mr Buck said, at the time of November’s audit, four important roles with the harbours service were empty.
These were Orkney Ferries service manager, deputy harbour master, assistant harbour master and the airfields manager
Three of these roles remain empty, with only the Orkney Ferries service manager post filled.
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