Thursday 4 March 2010

Bankety Bank

Caught in the headlights returning home on Tuesday night. I've never seen this sign before, and can only assume it was meant, along with a others strung out down the lane, as a safety instruction to workmen. Except that neither roadworks or roadmen were in evidence. And so the mind starts playing games about what one's supposed to do, and where does one find a banksman at this time of night. And do I have to reverse, or is that backwards thinking?

27 comments:

Jon Dudley said...

Seems like everything in this country is reversed; especially with the aid of the Banksmen. Good notice and I too have never seen one quite like it - whatever goes on in that parrallel universe up there? Anyway, here's what the Elf n'safety have to say on the subject (there's even a video clip!) -

Using banksmen to control reversing operations can put the Banksman in the potential danger area of a reversing vehicle. Every year banksmen suffer serious and fatal injuries whilst at work. If you do use banksmen, make sure they are trained to carry out their duties safely. There must be a safe system of work that ensures the Banksman and driver are using standard signals, so that they are easily understood, and that the driver knows to stop the vehicle immediately if the Banksman disappears from view.

The standard signals are given in the Health and Safety (Signs and Signals) Regulations 1996 L64, available from HSE Books.

Anonymous said...

Does it mean we can reverse over a banker? Please!

Philip Wilkinson said...

Jon: And never employ a banksman without ensuring that they have their relevant 'Health and safety during reversing' certificate (clearly stamped and sealed by the banksmen's safety institute) clearly displayed in their banksman's shelter. Third parties may take legal action if an uncertified banksman is employed.

Peter Ashley said...

Thankyou all very much for your comments, findings and advice. I'm wondering if one would look good on the walls of the Ashley Towers refectory. There's bound to be one left in the hedge for me.

Jon Dudley said...

You'll be sorry if you don't grab one.

Diplomate said...

I feel a bit of an anogram coming on

Philip Wilkinson said...

I wasn't sure, to be honest, what a banksman was, so I looked it up in the OED. 'An over-looker above ground at a coal-mine, a"bank-manager",' says the OED definition. Which explains the inky blackness around the sign if nothing else.

So aside from such questions as: What would an 'over-looker' be called below ground - an 'underlooker'? And: Is this the kind of bank-manager we ant to run over? What we want to know is, what was Lord Ashley doing driving round a coal mine?

Philip Wilkinson said...

Doh. For 'ant' read 'want'. Sorry.

TIW said...

And who keeps an eye on the safety of the Banksman while he's doing his job? A Banksmanbanksman?

Lord Carrot said...

I think maybe the nomenclature for this lies in the canals, where lengthsmen, and, no doubt, 'banks'men were employed. The terms transferred to the railways. Oh I don't know.

習慣一人 said...
This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.
Volie2 said...

I always thought a Banksman was a beer-drinker in Wolverhampton. Ah, such innocence!

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