health and safety

Years ago, after the War, there was a series of famous trials at Nuremberg when it was ordained that blind obedience to orders was not a defence against charges of inhumanity. So how come the two fire officers of Strathclyde Fire Service are able to hide behind 'obediance to health and safety rules' and continue in their jobs when they left a severely injured woman at the bottom of a mine shaft to die rather than breach ridiculous rules.  If you missed it, the rule they decided they couldn't break to save to use equipment to rescue her which they had only received training in  for the rescue of members of the emergency service and not the requisite training required to use the self same equipment to rescue a civilian.  You couldn't make it up.

Now when I was in the army we too had rules which were called Standard Operational Procedures or SOP's but there was one rule which transcended all others and that was:  'SOP's are for the guidance of wise men and the obedience of fools.'  What a pity nowadays that the so called emergency services now seemed to be officered by fools.  Although are we being too kind to call Group commander Paul Stuart of the Strathclyde Fire Service  a fool.  There is another word which springs too mind which I think is a more accurate reflection of his actions - cowardice.

And also what of the the rest of the firemen who meekly accepted the order to do nothing/  Why did none of them say -'fuck off - we are going to do it whatever you say.'  Why did they accept an imbecilic order from a fool and obey it?