Geoff
I'm an old stager like yourself of 35 years in. We probably have been fortunate not to stand up in court and explain our actions. I remember attending a course many moons ago before risk management was even thought of, where the chair was a barrister. I recall, that the prosecution is going to argue that the equipment failed due to lack of maintenence and will have a copy of the recommended interval and procedure at his disposal, along with an "independent" technical expert. The judge will only deal with fact and unless you can prove that you have performed an extensive foolproof risk analysis, taking into account manufacturer's recommendations, I don't think you'd stand a chance. NASA etc may get away with it, but if you remember the steelworks in South Wales a couple of years ago, and other large industries, have been heavily fined by the HSE for not having adequate maintenance schedules. The HSE has made massive inroads in the NHS over the last few years, coupled with the American style of litigation that has also appeared, I personnaly, would not like to put my neck out so close to retirement.
Graham
