Health and Safety on Paros

By Ileana von Hirsch, April 16th 2013

Our Paros concierge,   the beautiful Vangelis of the azure eyes (see previous blogpost) is very glum.  He has been forced, at the cost of 70 euros per person, to take his entire office and spend the whole of this glorious Saturday afternoon in a seminar on Health and Safety in the Workplace. Poor Greece, as if it did not have enough woes…

As the Greek island  workplace is often the back of a motorbike without a helmet clutching a mobile phone in one hand, a coffee between the knees and a cigarette hanging out of the corner of the mouth while driving the wrong side of the road round a blind corner, I wonder where the seminar speakers will start. Especially if the Troika have laid out the guidelines….    “Please put out your cigarettes, ladies and gentlemen, no, NOT in your coffee, and yes, you have to get off your motorbike…”

Our workplace was impeccably safe –  a shady fish taverna  with a view of the sparkling sea and the harbour jetty wavering in 30 degrees sunshine, with a large melon juice in front of us, waiting for our fish, and watching the  other Parians  – possibly on their way to the seminar,  hard at work on their motorbikes.

We have been given a very precious new house on the south coast to show to our clients – a real aristocrat among the luxury villas on Paros. Classic Cycladic lines, natural simplicity with  sophisticated touches, a beautifully elegant garden of shrubs and trees with a footpath winding through it, and best of all, pole position on a small promontory with the sea on three sides of the garden. Through the  3 elegantly dove-grey painted wooden gates lie small sandy coves, the coastal footpath, and a small harbour with a couple of fishing boats lying at anchor.  This really is the Gold Coast of Paros – south facing, sheltered and beautiful. We are organising various things for some guests here – spa and beauty treatments,  a visit to a very chic local pottery;  Iria, run by a Belgian lady,  a guided walk, a boat trip, and sailing lessons for the children.

Now that is my idea of Health and Safety.

About the author

Ileana von Hirsch

Ileana lives in London, is married to a Bavarian, and comes from an old shipping family from the Greek island of Ithaca. ileana@fivestargreece.com

2 thoughts on “Health and Safety on Paros”

  1. The main belief of any safety leadership training is that every injury is preventable if only one is determined to achieve this result. Most of the trainings that are given both within and outside an organization focus on the importance of social systems that influence behaviors and attitudes of people as well as the technical or regulatory aspects of a business.

    Reply

Leave a Comment

As seen in...

As Seen In
As Seen In
As Seen In
As Seen In
As Seen In
As Seen In
As Seen In
As Seen In
As Seen In
As Seen In
As Seen In
As Seen In
As Seen In
As Seen In
As Seen In
As Seen In
As Seen In
As Seen In
As Seen In
As Seen In
As Seen In
As Seen In
As Seen In
As Seen In
As Seen In
As Seen In

Share