More footpath problems

[rollestonpark]

I have a very well used footpath (currently about 100 people per day) coming down 1 farm drive into the farmyard and down the other farm drive.
Yesterday a woman (she's a regular comes all the time) decided to walk on 1 of the cattle grids (rather than going around it via the OPEN gate to the side). (claimed her dog had gone into the grid, (dog clearly off lead and out of control))
She fell through the grid to the bottom and is stuck. (right leg gone all the way down)
1st thing I know about it is a fire engine is on my drive.
She seems fine, (not wanting an ambulance) but can't get out.
By the time I get there, there is a crowd forming.
Fire brigade get out a hydraulic jack (to try and open the grid bars slightly), but after about 20 mins of pulling the start cord the engine (briggs & straton) won't start.
So they call another fire engine to bring a battery powered version.
While they wait (woman is fine, not in distress) etc, they start cutting into one of the railway grid irons with angle grinder.
I said something along the lines of, she's fine can't we just wait. Artics need to safely go over this, it'll need repairing.
They take no notice of me and carry on cutting.
they get about half way through the railway iron and the other equipment turns up.
In less than a couple of minutes they open it slightly and she's out.
So I asked her to help me with the costs of repairing the grid (since it was her actions/negligence that resulted in the damage).
She muttered something and literally ran off. I have no details on her or anything.
Later on I had my fabricator come to check the grid was safe for artics to cross.
He said no and really that whole grid iron needs to come out and be replaced, however if you have no matching railway irons for this grid I'll have to try and repair it (by cutting welding etc) in place.
Either way looks like I have half a day fabrication work to make the grid safe at my expense.

Bloody footpaths

 

[Al R]

Wow! I know from what my wife tells me that the fire service is often sledgehammer to crack a nut but surely they would have used some common sense? Pour oil on said woman’s legs and free’d them that way? It does seem very excessive that if she got her leg in she can’t get it back out it may well be worth speaking to the fire service about it and their take on it - they should have contact details for the lady, do you know any of the crew?

 

[Formatted]

You'll have insurance, this is something for them to sort and to try and recover costs

Have you made a RIDOR report and made sure your risk assessments up to date and that you have appropriate mitigation?

 

[GeorgeK]

Jesus this country. Thanks to health and safety unless something's painted yellow and has warning signs people assume accidents are a physical impossibility

 

[robs1]

Could you have put a rope round her and pulled her up with the loader ? Must have been bloody skinny leg to.go down that far

 

[Al R]

Could you have put a rope round her and pulled her up with the loader ? Must have been bloody skinny leg to.go down that far

Plank of wood across so she could sit on to heave herself up or for the OP to lift her up by?

 

[teslacoils]

Any photos?

 

[rollestonpark]

I only have a distant photo, they were mardy about taking photos due to GDPR, I should have photoed her whilst she was in the grid. But though (at the time) that would be mean, because she might be in distress.

Given my insurance premiums and excess, no way can I afford to claim on insurance, will have to pay out of my own money. Farm debt is building rather.
I'm sure I could have just got a bottle jack from workshop and got her out, but once the fire people were involved they don't give a sh1t about other peoples property.

 

[bobk]

Electric gates are the best investment you can make

 

[Nearly]

Electric gates are the best investment you can make

Specially IF you can get insurance to contribute.

 

[rollestonpark]

Electric gates are the best investment you can make

Yes have them half way down the drive, but the first grid protects farmyard from cattle in the field
the drive is 3/4 mile long I can't afford 4 electric gates along it

 

[teslacoils]

Any photos?

I only have a distant photo, they were mardy about taking photos due to GDPR, I should have photoed her whilst she was in the grid. But though (at the time) that would be mean, because she might be in distress.

Given my insurance premiums and excess, no way can I afford to claim on insurance, will have to pay out of my own money. Farm debt is building rather.
I'm sure I could have just got a bottle jack from workshop and got her out, but once the fire people were involved they don't give a sh1t about other peoples property.

Gdpr what rubbish. Your grid, public footpath.

 

[TheTallGuy]

Put a bill into the fire service - her life & limbs weren't in danger & therefore damaging your property was disproportionate given the alternatives available.

 

[Mc115reed]

I only have a distant photo, they were mardy about taking photos due to GDPR, I should have photoed her whilst she was in the grid. But though (at the time) that would be mean, because she might be in distress.

Given my insurance premiums and excess, no way can I afford to claim on insurance, will have to pay out of my own money. Farm debt is building rather.
I'm sure I could have just got a bottle jack from workshop and got her out, but once the fire people were involved they don't give a sh1t about other peoples property.

Just remember you might well need them yourself one day.... suck it up buttercup

 

[7610 super q]

It's only going to get worse. Makes you wonder about the wisdom of " Right to roam ".

 

[The Son]

I only have a distant photo, they were mardy about taking photos due to GDPR, I should have photoed her whilst she was in the grid. But though (at the time) that would be mean, because she might be in distress.

Given my insurance premiums and excess, no way can I afford to claim on insurance, will have to pay out of my own money. Farm debt is building rather.
I'm sure I could have just got a bottle jack from workshop and got her out, but once the fire people were involved they don't give a sh1t about other peoples property.

Th fire service very often use a sledge hammer to crack a nut, justified in some cases, sometimes not. Not sure what fire service is involved but I am with Hereford and Worcester and we also have to take into account "business continuity". From what you have described the lady was not distressed and there was no life risk involved, so need to take the action they did, especially when they had another fire engine on the way.
Your first action should be to contact the HQ of said fire service, find out who was in charge of the incident and have a chat, mention the fact that their actions have affected your business continuity and see what happens.

 

[puppet]

Fire brigade rules can be daft. A holiday chalet fell on a guy repairing underneath it. Local farmer got telehandler to lift it as they couldn't get air bags on the slope but he had to wait until they had taken photos first.
Meanwhile the victim had a chalet on his chest.

 

[Kidds]

I would have shown her the calving jack, explained its purpose and told her to stop fecking about.

 

[Ffermer Bach]

I have a very well used footpath (currently about 100 people per day) coming down 1 farm drive into the farmyard and down the other farm drive.
Yesterday a woman (she's a regular comes all the time) decided to walk on 1 of the cattle grids (rather than going around it via the OPEN gate to the side). (claimed her dog had gone into the grid, (dog clearly off lead and out of control))
She fell through the grid to the bottom and is stuck. (right leg gone all the way down)
1st thing I know about it is a fire engine is on my drive.
She seems fine, (not wanting an ambulance) but can't get out.
By the time I get there, there is a crowd forming.
Fire brigade get out a hydraulic jack (to try and open the grid bars slightly), but after about 20 mins of pulling the start cord the engine (briggs & straton) won't start.
So they call another fire engine to bring a battery powered version.
While they wait (woman is fine, not in distress) etc, they start cutting into one of the railway grid irons with angle grinder.
I said something along the lines of, she's fine can't we just wait. Artics need to safely go over this, it'll need repairing.
They take no notice of me and carry on cutting.
they get about half way through the railway iron and the other equipment turns up.
In less than a couple of minutes they open it slightly and she's out.
So I asked her to help me with the costs of repairing the grid (since it was her actions/negligence that resulted in the damage).
She muttered something and literally ran off. I have no details on her or anything.
Later on I had my fabricator come to check the grid was safe for artics to cross.
He said no and really that whole grid iron needs to come out and be replaced, however if you have no matching railway irons for this grid I'll have to try and repair it (by cutting welding etc) in place.
Either way looks like I have half a day fabrication work to make the grid safe at my expense.

Bloody footpaths

can you make a claim against the fire brigade in the small claims court?

 

[essexpete]

can you make a claim against the fire brigade in the small claims court?

Trouble is that action could open another can of worms. I am not sure i would have been keen assisting with a farm jack if not life threatening. Supposing the jack slipped and injured the woman? OP might have ended up with a claim.