This isn't health and safety gone mad, the evidence is there, when you read the report.
The item cited as the main cause of the accident was a ''Youngmans'' type working platform. These have aluminium stretchers and manufactured non slip board walkway. This was strung from the dockside to the metal gunwale of the boat. There was no handrail fitted, even though there are kits available for this purpose.
No doubt, the manufacturers advise the fitting of handrails and the proper securing of the platform when mounted on metal supports such as steel scaffolding.
Anyone who has used ''Youngman'' type platforms mounted on scaffolding, as I do very often at work, will tell you how dangerous they can be if not secured.
All the H&E rules and guidance in the World won't stop workers from being neglectful about their own safety and I suspect this is the way that they this piece of equipment was used by them. If an inspector had visited the premises and found workers using it in this way he/she would have stopped all work until this was remedied. This may or may not have happened ( it's not unknown that safety equipment gets removed because a worker thinks it's unnecessary ) but whether it did or didn't, the ultimate responsibility rests on the shoulders of the Boss and it's no good him saying he didn't know because the information is readily available.
The owner/owners of the dock had a responsibility to the hirer to ensure that the dock and all equipment hired or lent was suitable and safe to use and that the hirer was fully aware of the proper and safe use of said equipment. This they failed to do.
I think they got off lightly with a fine.
Keith