Petmania settle out of court.

catbear

http://www.ireland.com/news/woman-settles-case-against-hse/608159

I was really angry when I read the details of this case, the casual attitude to H&S for their staff has really cost them. I know there was another thread involving Petmania closed on this forum and that raised my eyebrows but this is really bad. I don't think I can patronise any of their businesses from now on. I was a regular customer too.

That poor girl.

Dymo

Any threads here with anything to do with the O Keeffe group gets closed, I don't know what power they have over boards. I believe the HSE were more to blame as they just decided to ignore everything and hope it would go away. You can't really blame Petmania its a difficult position to be in, admit to liability and pay millions or go to court and pay millions.

The poor girls life is changed for ever, at least she now has enough to make it a bit more comfortable for her.

Dozen Wicked Words

Horrendous for the young woman but its in the Kilkenny forum because we also have a branch of a shop that she worked in? Bit of a tenuous link to Kilkenny isnt it?

Captain Havoc

dooferoaks wrote: »

Horrendous for the young woman but its in the Kilkenny forum because we also have a branch of a shop that she worked in? Bit of a tenuous link to Kilkenny isnt it?

I think that it's a Kilkenny owned business would be a fairly strong one. The O'Keefes have been in business here for a very long time.

PhilipMarlowe

Dymo wrote: »

Any threads here with anything to do with the O Keeffe group gets closed, I don't know what power they have over boards...

That's a weird thing to say.
There was a thread on here about them going into examinership that was closed by an Admin after some posts from a new registrant that were potentially damaging and impossible (for this site) to verify. I don't recall any others?

Dozen Wicked Words

Captain Havoc wrote: »

I think that it's a Kilkenny owned business would be a fairly strong one. The O'Keefes have been in business here for a very long time.

My distinct lack of local knowledge shines like a beacon.

holyhead

I agree with Dymo, I would place more responsibility on the HSE. Not absolving Petmania of blame by any means. Though obviously they couldn't for legal reasons, I imagine, admit liability. The extent of her damaged health appears to be more a fault of the HSE than Petmania. Petmania may have been the original source of the problem but the health experts, HSE, should have treated her case with greater due diligence.
While accepting that the girl's quality of life is virtually destroyed I think its easy Catbear to point the blame saying that Petmania were in some sense shoddy. Yes they slipped up. Everybody does in all walks of life. To boycott the stores is pointless and silly TBH. Of course its your right. Will you boycott HSE run health services too. In the interest of consistency you should :rolleyes:
Petmania are giving much needed employment across the country. Jobs which I'm sure there employees appreciate having. What happened to the girl is awful and is bound to engender bad feeling towards Petmania. But boycott only harms jobs in this particular situation. Please remember this although probably the result of negligence it was not deliberate or planned.
Nobody comes out of this terrible situation happy. Not Petmania, the Hse or obviously the poor girl herself. Lessons will be learned. All of us learn lessons as we go through life.

catbear

I guess I'm pissed of at the lax attitude towards heath and safety in the workplace. Different companies have different policies, some good and some dreadful. I was in one job two years before we got an induction session and they only did that because their insurance company made them. Even then they just went through it as if it didn't matter.

The cause of the infection was on the business side and the fact that protective devices weren't prescribed means that the primary responsibility to the victim was with the employer. It was not the HSEs job to make that business take precautions.

In another article I read about the case when she had been bitten by a rat she wasn't let go to get it treated. http://www.independent.ie/national-news/courts/worker-bitten-by-rat-in-pet-shop-told-she-couldnt-go-to-hospital-2808220.html

The Health and Safety was lax, plus anyone of us as customers could have been infected by their diseased stock. That's a big problem for me, I wouldn't wish her fate on anyone and I'm glad that Petmania were made to pay. Her life was changed entirely and the money only saves her parents from being primary carers.

If petmania weren't at fault they wouldn't be settling. I am still really disgusted. They'll have to do a major H&S revamp before I'd go ear them again, I bet their insurance premium will make them.

holyhead

Catbear,
there is no doubt having a manual for the running of a petshop that does not include the word animal is downright bizarre. There is no doubt that Petmania's H & S was not up to scratch. My understanding is that Petmania were to blame for her health being compromised and that the HSE are to blame for the extent to which it is compromised.
If you settle out of court you are publicly accepting that something was amiss. I don't think for one minute that Petmania set out for the girl to become unwell and certainly not end up in the tragic situation she now finds herself in. Could they have handled the situation better, i'm sure they could of. But we can all be clever dicks in hindsight.
Look Catbear i'm sure nobody in Petmania or the O'Keeffe business setup is clinking glasses at the sight of a young woman having her quality of life destroyed. People can forget that a company is run by people. No people no company. They are not faceless organizations. I would imagine that the directors are distressed that this young woman is in this situation. I have no doubt, as we all would, they were looking out for their own interests too. That's human nature. Like the person who might run from or not report a hit and run, even though it was an accident.

catbear

holyhead wrote: »

Catbear,
there is no doubt having a manual for the running of a petshop that does not include the word animal is downright bizarre. There is no doubt that Petmania's H & S was not up to scratch. My understanding is that Petmania were to blame for her health being compromised and that the HSE are to blame for the extent to which it is compromised.
If you settle out of court you are publicly accepting that something was amiss. I don't think for one minute that Petmania set out for the girl to become unwell and certainly not end up in the tragic situation she now finds herself in. Could they have handled the situation better, i'm sure they could of. But we can all be clever dicks in hindsight.
Look Catbear i'm sure nobody in Petmania or the O'Keeffe business setup is clinking glasses at the sight of a young woman having her quality of life destroyed. People can forget that a company is run by people. No people no company. They are not faceless organizations. I would imagine that the directors are distressed that this young woman is in this situation. I have no doubt, as we all would, they were looking out for their own interests too. That's human nature. Like the person who might run from or not report a hit and run, even though it was an accident.

I never said there was any malicious intent but you're making out that I said there was. You're misinterpreting me. It was bad H&S practice or lack of them that created the tragedy. My view of them is sullied by their behaviour towards this woman, they were contesting the case up to the settlement.

holyhead

Catbear,
there is no doubt that Petmania owed a duty of care to this unfortunate girl. As did the HSE, who you could argue failed her to a greater extent. Of course Petmania contested the case. Liability is virtually never accepted by the sued party in these situations. So Petmania are by no means unique in this.
We can now only wish the girl every good wishes as she faces into a future existence much diminished in quality to what she was used to. No amount of money can replace diminished quality of life.

catbear

I understand all your saying Hollyhead and I agree with the logic but I feel the same way.

It's done. This problem could have been prevented by Petmania before it got near the HSE (who have their shortcomings). Animal waste like human waste can be toxic. Say what you will, I'm still pissed off by the whole thing, especially their attitude to her wanting to seek medical attention after been bitten. I'm done with this thread. (yeah, I know I started it)