I DO feel sympathy for Mrs Payne whose daughter Carla was scarred in an accident which occurred at her local Air Training Corps headquarters.
As a former adult uniformed member of staff who served the Corps for seven years I feel it was an accident waiting to happen.
The Air Training Corps, one of the country's biggest youth organisation is the finest organisation young people can get involved with.
However, it is under funded, under manned and, like many organisations, has to rely on volunteers.
Uniformed members of staff attend training courses at RAF Cranwell. Civilian members of staff, apart from being able to attend courses on specialist subjects, do not have the access to training involving the care and welfare of young people.
In my terms of service, there was little or no guidance in the form of practical training for these volunteers apart from a handbook produced by a senior officer.
There is no excuse for any accident such as this occurring.
The Air Training Corps, in line with industry, has to abide by the Health and Safety at Work Act 1974. In addition the Health and Safety at Work Regulations 1999 imposes a duty to make sufficient assessment of the risks to members of the public, and that includes Air Cadets.
The main objective of the Commanding Officer was to ensure that this was carried out.
However the main point is that Carla and her mother should of received at least an apology and an explanation? That is common courtesy which the Corps lacked at times!
S P
Wootton Bassett
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