This amused me

A few days ago, some men from the local fire brigade came by appointment to change my smoke alarms, which were over 20 years old. They do this as a free service to old and disabled people; I suppose it is cheaper for them in the long run than having to deal with a lot of fires. To my amusement, three men turned up in a fire engine. Maybe this was their way of reassuring me that they were pukka firemen and not scamsters. They were charming people and gave me some useful advice as well as changing the alarms.

This morning, I received a letter dated 24th June informing me that I would receive a visit on 30th June. It must have got stuck in the post somewhere. Fortunately I had put the date in my diary when I made the appointment so I didn't actually require a confirmatory letter. It contained the following remarkable paragraphs:
Quote:

The London Fire Commission has a legal duty to provide a safe working environment to protect the health of its staff. To assist us with this, we would ask that, if you smoke, you would do everything possible to provide a smoke-free environment when our staff visit you in your home... If a smoke-free environment cannot be provided, our staff will need to assess the situation before proceeding, which in some instances may result in the visit being postponed.

Since when have firemen, of all people, required a "safe working environment"? I had a lovely vision of firemen hesitating outside a burning building because they require a smoke-free atmosphere before they can proceed.