Fired For Planking

The current idiotic ‘planking’ craze seems nowhere near abating yet, despite injuries and deaths.
But now in Oz, an engineer's been sacked… for making a spoof planking safety poster!
He’s one of seven dismissed in on-site planking-related incidents this week: two were fired for planking atop 60m smokestacks at a Sth.Australia refinery!! The rest, incl.a supervisor, were sacked for watching and photographing the event.
The spoof poster itself (sporting a BHP Billiton letterhead) promotes ‘safe planking’ on site.


It reads like a standard safety announcement, explaining ‘Safe Planking Procedures’ or SPPs, which include “a maximum planking height of 60cm; site compliant PPE (personal protective equipment); mandatory presence of a competent spotter; and supervisor approval for every planking activity.”
I have no problem with the sacking of workers over safety violations or taking part in same – they do after all work in highly dangerous environments where safety must be paramount. Planking on top of 60m smokestacks is just plain suicidal!
But losing your job for making a spoof safety poster, which clearly shows you’re no more than two feet off the ground, seems just a tad over-reactionary!