Went to B&Q to buy some kitchen worktops, sawn to length via their
free in-shop service. Met by a notice stating they are unable to cut
worktops, doors, ... (a few others) due to "health and safety
regulations".

Which aspect of H & S is the problem, and to whom?

Is this a local thing (south Manchester) or country-wide?

"Jo" wrote in message
...
Went to B&Q to buy some kitchen worktops, sawn to length via their
free in-shop service. Met by a notice stating they are unable to cut
worktops, doors, ... (a few others) due to "health and safety
regulations".

Which aspect of H & S is the problem, and to whom?

Is this a local thing (south Manchester) or country-wide?

Where my wife works they're still doing it (sawing worktops that is). It may
be that they haven't got enough trained staff or they didn't have the
correct safety equipment in the first place, eg. dust extraction, guards
etc.

--
Malc

On 1 Nov 2004 19:54:54 GMT, Jo wrote:

Went to B&Q to buy some kitchen worktops, sawn to length via their
free in-shop service. Met by a notice stating they are unable to cut
worktops, doors, ... (a few others) due to "health and safety
regulations".

Which aspect of H & S is the problem, and to whom?

Is this a local thing (south Manchester) or country-wide?

Their saw does not make a 100% neet finish, and its a lot of money for
them to waste when you are not happy with the cut.

Doors have nails (on occasions) which will knacker the saw.

Rick

"Jo" wrote in message
...
Went to B&Q to buy some kitchen worktops, sawn to length via their
free in-shop service. Met by a notice stating they are unable to cut
worktops, doors, ... (a few others) due to "health and safety
regulations".

Which aspect of H & S is the problem, and to whom?

Is this a local thing (south Manchester) or country-wide?

If you mean the Stockport B&Q they've always been awkward with cutting
there.

"Rick Dipper" wrote in message
...
On 1 Nov 2004 19:54:54 GMT, Jo wrote:

Went to B&Q to buy some kitchen worktops, sawn to length via their
free in-shop service. Met by a notice stating they are unable to cut
worktops, doors, ... (a few others) due to "health and safety
regulations".

Which aspect of H & S is the problem, and to whom?

Is this a local thing (south Manchester) or country-wide?

Their saw does not make a 100% neet finish, and its a lot of money for
them to waste when you are not happy with the cut.

Doors have nails (on occasions) which will knacker the saw.

Rick

********--probably has more to do with lazy staff and the boss is a twit.
Seems to be a B&Q standard practice.

Rick Dipper wrote in
:

On 1 Nov 2004 19:54:54 GMT, Jo wrote:

Went to B&Q to buy some kitchen worktops, sawn to length via
their free in-shop service. Met by a notice stating they are
unable to cut worktops, doors, ... (a few others) due to "health
and safety regulations".

Which aspect of H & S is the problem, and to whom?

Is this a local thing (south Manchester) or country-wide?

Their saw does not make a 100% neet finish, and its a lot of
money for them to waste when you are not happy with the cut.

Doors have nails (on occasions) which will knacker the saw.

Yes, possible reasons, but hardly H&S - more like 'economics'.

"G&M" wrote in news:cm6ej7$riq$1
@news6.svr.pol.co.uk:

Stockport B&Q

Actually the Stanley Green, Cheadle Hulme one.

On 1 Nov 2004 23:38:49 GMT, Jo wrote:

"G&M" wrote in news:cm6ej7$riq$1
:

Stockport B&Q

Actually the Stanley Green, Cheadle Hulme one.

I have no idea why that place keeps going, its so much more expensive
than the Stockport B&Q

Rick

"Jo" wrote in message
...
Went to B&Q to buy some kitchen worktops, sawn to length via their
free in-shop service. Met by a notice stating they are unable to cut
worktops, doors, ... (a few others) due to "health and safety
regulations".

Which aspect of H & S is the problem, and to whom?

My guess would be that a risk assessment has identified the dust from MDF as
a hazard to someone with the technical skills of the average B&Q staff.

Colin Bignell

"Jo" wrote in message
...

My guess would be that a risk assessment has identified the dust from
MDF as a hazard to someone with the technical skills of the average
B&Q staff.

But at our MDF is not on the list and are happy to cut it for you!
Jon

Jo wrote in message ...
Went to B&Q to buy some kitchen worktops, sawn to length via their
free in-shop service. Met by a notice stating they are unable to cut
worktops, doors, ... (a few others) due to "health and safety
regulations".

Which aspect of H & S is the problem, and to whom?

Is this a local thing (south Manchester) or country-wide?

Our local B&Q don't cut, full stop. Nor wickes, nor Focus (now
Wickes). The only place that did was Homebase but I'm not so sure
after their recent "refit". Now seems to be more "lifestyle" than DIY,
always was expensive.

MBQ

Rick Dipper wrote:


I have no idea why that place keeps going, its so much more expensive
than the Stockport B&Q

P'raps because its immediate catchment area (Wilmslow, Alderley Edge,
and the like) has plenty of people who aren't hair-trigger
price-sensitive. Retail pricing is subject to the same "because they
can" principle as dogs licking their privates...

Jo wrote in message ...
"G&M" wrote in news:cm6ej7$riq$1
@news6.svr.pol.co.uk:

Stockport B&Q

Actually the Stanley Green, Cheadle Hulme one.


That explains a lot then....I find that branch is particularly useless
when it comes to things like keeping stuff in stock and (most
irritatingly) never having enough tills open.

Tim

"Jo" wrote in message
...
Went to B&Q to buy some kitchen worktops, sawn to length via their
free in-shop service. Met by a notice stating they are unable to cut
worktops, doors, ... (a few others) due to "health and safety
regulations".

Which aspect of H & S is the problem, and to whom?

Is this a local thing (south Manchester) or country-wide?

Our local B&Q won't cut MDF, they say it's a health hazard. As their
saw is within the public access area of the store I can see their point.
I don't know about worktops, but they might well be reluctant to cut
lots of laminated weetabix since it soon blunts the blade.

I wouldn't trust them to cut it right anyway - in my experience they
pay scant attention to accuracy.

David

"Jo" wrote in message
...
"G&M" wrote in news:cm6ej7$riq$1
@news6.svr.pol.co.uk:

Stockport B&Q

Actually the Stanley Green, Cheadle Hulme one.

That one's useless for everything, though slightly better than Ashton. Try
the new one at Trafford.

"Jonathan Pearson" wrote in message
...
"Jo" wrote in message
...

My guess would be that a risk assessment has identified the dust from
MDF as a hazard to someone with the technical skills of the average
B&Q staff.

The technical skills would be around zero for buy and spew, so who, in buy
and queue, would be up to producing a risk assessment that would make any
sense?

But at our MDF is not on the list and are happy to cut it for you!

See what I mean?

Dave

Jo wrote in
:

Went to B&Q to buy some kitchen worktops, sawn to length via
their free in-shop service. Met by a notice stating they are
unable to cut worktops, doors, ... (a few others) due to "health
and safety regulations".

Which aspect of H & S is the problem, and to whom?

Is this a local thing (south Manchester) or country-wide?


Answering my own question, it seems to be a local Cheadle Hulme
branch policy. The Stockport B&Q Warehouse cut the worktops for me
OK. The guy doing the work said he didn't know why Ch Hulme doesn't -
certainly nothing to do with the equipment that's installed there.