James Kelly: Emergency workers want to 'do all that they can' to save lives

THE continuing Fatal Accident Inquiry into the case of Alison Hume who died after being stuck in a mine shaft for six hours raises a number of issues that need to be addressed as matters of urgency, but we must never forget the courage and bravery of our emergency workers.

Mrs Hume was only 44 when she died from a heart attack after falling down Goatfoot mine. It has been reported from the inquiry (FAI) into her death that she was trapped in the mine with serious injuries for six hours as rescuers worked for her release.

Worryingly, the FAI was told by Christopher Rooney, the first senior fire officer at the scene, that it would have been possible to pull her from the shaft had it not been for "health and safety regulations".

The FAI will make its findings known in due course, and it is vital that lessons are learned from this case. However, our emergency workers often go above and beyond the call of duty – and in too many cases pay the ultimate price in their service to Scotland.

Many emergency workers have died doing their jobs, and we should always be mindful of the risks they take on our behalf.

While it is vital to ensure the safety of professionals such as firefighters, police officers and paramedics, the strictures that they work under should always allow them to do their job.

I hope that when the Health and Safety Executive and the Chief Fire Officers Association examine this case, and others, they will ensure that health and safety laws are interpreted in a way that strikes the right balance. That balance is not easy to ensure, and we will always require those in charge to make tough calls.

The safety of workers and their ability to save lives must be the twin priorities under which the law operates. Those who put their lives on the line may sometimes have to be protected from their own bravery, but when emergency workers are left thinking that more could have been done, then questions have to be asked.

The working lives of emergency staff will never be risk-free, but these highly trained professionals go into the job to make a difference and do all that they can to save lives. It is essential that any guidelines allow our police, firefighters and paramedics to do just that.

James Kelly is spokesman for Labour on community safety.