Posted by Prue Eckett on October 06, 2005 at 21:32:59 from 222.153.30.65 user PrueEckett.
In Reply to: Re: Mine exploration (was Re: Church Beck as the River Amazon?) posted by John Nichols on October 06, 2005 at 15:12:32:
Interesting collection of facts.
I wonder how the drowning in pools issue stacks up against drowning in rivers, lakes etc. We have an interesting setup in NZ now - with your pool legally correctly fenced and all overlooking windows locked so they cannot be opened more than ten centimetres (wonderful if there's a fire in your house and its the only way of escape)you are still legally responsible if a child manages to breach the defenses and drowns in the pool. The parents or guardians aren't held accountable at all.
But, if the child wanders down the road and drowns in the vast number of open drains and rivers in the country, the local council is not responsible, even for the man-made ones. Accountability seems to rest only with private individuals and businesses. As soon as you get to government, whether local or national, the game plan changes - at least as far as health and safety. Comments?