Does this sound right?

[SAISAY]

A new men's shed has been built in Tully, Queensland.

It costs $60 per year to be a member.
Entry to the shed is via a childrens' playground so nobody can access the shed unless they have a blue card.
If you pay your $60 AND you have a blue card, you will still not be allowed to touch any of the equipment unless you are qualified to do so.
This all by word of mouth from the Men's Shed co-ordinator or whatever he is called.
This person is also wearing a Council name badge, even though he does not work for the council.
He claims the shed is owned by the council, hence he is a Council Representative.

There is mumbling in the ranks over this, so I promised to see if I could find out about it.

[Bodgia]

I'm not a lawyer or even a member of a Men's Shed but no, it doesn't sound right to me. I'm a Dad and I take my 16 month old daughter to children's playgrounds all the time - I don't have a blue card and I doubt most of the other parents who take their kids to public playgrounds do either. Why would you need a Blue Card to simply pass through the playground?

As far as being "qualified" on the tools - what is the definition of qualified? Surely a familiarisation lesson on each tool and general tool safety when you join would be sufficient, and even wise actually.

Sounds like your council fella is a bit of a pessimist to me.

[Vernonv]

Surely a familiarisation lesson on each tool and general tool safety when you join would be sufficient, and even wise actually.

I'm guessing that is what is meant by "qualified".

[rwbuild]

Ring the council to confirm if he is employed / associated with them and also contact the head association to confirm their laws / by laws / requirements.

[petersemple]

I'm not a lawyer or even a member of a Men's Shed but no, it doesn't sound right to me. I'm a Dad and I take my 16 month old daughter to children's playgrounds all the time - I don't have a blue card and I doubt most of the other parents who take their kids to public playgrounds do either. Why would you need a Blue Card to simply pass through the playground?

You don't have a Blue card because you don't live in QLD and it is a QLD thing. You wouldn't need a blue card to take your own child to a playground here either, but if you worked or volunteered around that playground then you would need one (Maintenance person, mower etc). AS for whether you would need one to go through the playground in order to get to the Men's Shed, I am not sure. You would need to check with the proper authority, but it would not surprise me to find out that you would need one. I think the smartest move would be locating the Men's Shed elsewhere to ensure there is no confusion.

[Avery]

Every Mens' Shed that I have been to has its own rules about who can use what and when. Some are quite strict about some machinery, some less so. Most run familiarisation lessons on various machines and tick off the names that have been through the session. The particular shed that I belong to has colour coded name badges to identify those that are most familiar with operating procedures. It is still pretty much up to each individual to ask for help if he does not know the machine and also up to individuals to identify and help those that are in need.

The individual that you are talking about sounds a bit over officious.

Our shed is owned by the council and is run by an elected commitee - we pay the council a rental for the use of their premises but they take very little part in the running of the shed. We are incorporated and carry our own insurance. I really cannot imagine a local council taking on the responsibility of running a Mens' Shed.

Call your council and ask what the story is.

[SAISAY]

Every Mens' Shed that I have been to has its own rules about who can use what and when. Some are quite strict about some machinery, some less so. Most run familiarisation lessons on various machines and tick off the names that have been through the session. The particular shed that I belong to has colour coded name badges to identify those that are most familiar with operating procedures. It is still pretty much up to each individual to ask for help if he does not know the machine and also up to individuals to identify and help those that are in need.

The individual that you are talking about sounds a bit over officious.

Our shed is owned by the council and is run by an elected commitee - we pay the council a rental for the use of their premises but they take very little part in the running of the shed. We are incorporated and carry our own insurance. I really cannot imagine a local council taking on the responsibility of running a Mens' Shed.

Call your council and ask what the story is.

Thanks Avery.

I was convinced it was a Men's Shed Association thing, not a council thing.
I will relay the message and let the people concerned decide what to do about it.

[jimbur]

It's hard to say much without knowledge of the actual situation but I would imagine whoever pays the insurance would have some say in how machines are used and who by.
good luck,
cheers,
Jim

[specialist]

THe blue card that they are referring to is now obsolete. They have been phased out and all of us who had blue cards had to do a stupid unnessary course to upgrade to the white card that is valid nation wide.

[petersemple]

In QLD there used to be 2 blue cards. One was a building site health and safety induction card. The other is a working with children check, to show that you haven't any official history that might make you a danger to children. The building site one was replaced by a white card a few years ago. The child safety one is still blue. I assumed because the OP talks about needing one to access the building through a children's playground that it is the child safety one that is being asked for.

[specialist]

My wife works in the education industry and thus has to have the working with children blue card, but it is my understanding that you only need to have one if you are working with them ie: teaching, minding and suchlike. Just to walk through a play ground I wouldn't think that it would be a requirement. It sounds to me like a bureaucracy gone mad situation.

[petersemple]

I suspect you are right