It was good today to be able to report on potential incompetence which did not happen here.
Last November with much pomp and ceremony, the new Dutch Foreign Ministry office building was opened in the Hague by none other than the Dutch King, WILLEM-ALEXANDER himself.
But now following the collapse of an airport car park using floor panels of a similar kind to those used in this building, safety concerns are being been voiced.
It seems that civil service staff have been warned off dancing in their restaurant for fear that the floors might not take the strain.
One has to wonder how much call there is for Dutch civil servants to engage in dancing whilst at work. But more seriously staff have been advised not to over-stack photocopier paper, place a second row of chairs round conference room tables, or install heavy cupboards and safes in their offices.
Since the 6000 staff moved in, there has been a steady stream of complaints involving a lack of privacy, a serious shortage of work stations and dark and depressing decor.
Issues were also raised in the Dutch parliament after two civil servants were injured falling on uneven staircases.
The architects involved in the design of the building maintain that they worked strictly to the specifications they were given and for which they have received an award for sustainability.
So everything’s OK then?
Well perhaps not as inspectors have been forced to close off parts of another building in The Hague, housing the justice and interior ministries after finding problems with the floor design last year.
In spite of all the reported issues the Central Government Real Estate Agency, which maintains official buildings, has sought to assure staff that they are perfectly safe, and that inspectors operate on the principle of “better safe than sorry”.
“We know it’s annoying for staff when the whole building isn’t available for use without restrictions,” the Agency said, adding that it would brief the civil servants and provide “floor walkers” to address their concerns.
Well that should be alright then!
The same firm involved in renovating this building has also been appointed to spruce up the parliament building, but a government spokesman has assured parliamentarians that these are “two completely different projects” – a turn of phrase unlikely to mollify the architects or their critics.
Returning closer to home, Margaret Mills was back with me again today. Now last week Margaret was looking at the facts pointing to a suggestion that an Essex man, Sir Walter Tyrrell might have had some culpability over the death of William Rufus – William II and this week Margaret took a closer look at the Tyrrell family of which many members held positions of some prominence in Essex.
Listen again here to what Margaret told me today: –
See you once more next week,
Scott