Pointless and stupid petty 'risk assessment'

The Yorkshire division of British Waterways issued a press releas this week announcing a 'Towpath Tidy'.  I was about to write a bit about the event, but I choked, when I got to the end, where it announced 'photocalls':

British Waterways takes safety near the water very seriously and so if you are intending to send a photographer, could you please liaise with Alison [Hargreaves, BW local marketing officer] beforehand to organise safety equipment, i.e. lifejackets and suitable footwear and a briefing on site safety procedures. Thanks for your co-operation.

I'd feel insulted if I was a photographer, used to carrying expensive camera equipment around my neck that I have to take care of, being told that I needed a risk assessment to take photographs on the towpath.  When a 'marketing officer' (doesn't that word just smack of the military?) issues a warning like this, if she gets no coverage at all for that event it'll still be more publicity than she deserves.

I remember asking the local Birmingham BW office for help/advice in photographing the canal boat light parade last November.  Guess what?  She (a different she) brightly asked me to come along to the office to fill out a pointless, stupid risk assessment form.  Of course, I (the same I that got so irritated with Alison Hargreave's stupid diktat above) ignored her and just went as a normal person. 

And guess what?  As soon as I arrived, I tripped over a couple of 'don't moor here' laminated cards that camouflaged a mooring bollard in the public towpath area.  Nearly broke my expensive camera, nearly broke my ankle.  I wonder what the risk assessment said about that?  Personally, I just blamed myself.  No-one else's fault.  No risk. Just me not looking carefully enough at where I was walking. 

I don't 'take safety seriously'; I just think it's a personal responsibility, part of being an adult.  You tell children to take safety seriously.