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05-21-2011 07:28 PM |
Quote:
Originally Posted by BigV
(Post 735518)
Please do my/our research for me/us. Linky?
(I said it nicely, I could have said "Cite.")
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Where should I start?
Quote:
Plankers not deterred by Brisbane man's death
[From Monday May 16th]
Australian plankers are vowing to continue despite the online craze being taken to a "dark point" by the death of a young Brisbane man.
Acton Beale, 20, fell from a high-rise building in Kangaroo Point on Sunday morning when he tried to plank on a balcony railing.
Planking involves a person lying face down in a rigid position at unusual locations. Photos of the act are often then shared on social networking sites like Facebook.
The Queensland Opposition has joined the state's police in calling for people to stop participating in the dangerous craze - a move one expert labels "counter-intuitive".
But Richard Litonjua, who created the Brisbane Planking Association (BPA), says despite the fatal fall, plankers will "absolutely not" stop.
"Accidents happen every day. It's a tragic thing to happen to somebody and a really tragic way to go, but if people crash their car and die, we're not going to stop driving our cars," he said.
"We can't just lock ourselves up and stop doing things just because something's been taken to a really dark point."
Users of the Facebook page, which has attracted thousands of members, echoed that opinion.
"So one guy dies and the planking police come out! Who is next, the walking police? Or what about the driving police? The swimming police? Anyone else?" wrote Rhiannon Downie.
"So we should all stop doing the things we think is fun because we can die doing it? Say goodbye to almost every sport in the world! Is that really what u want?" wrote Ron Adrian Blomstervik.
Prime Minister Julia Gillard says plankers must learn the difference between "a harmless bit of fun ... and taking a risk with your life".
Mr Litonjua agrees plankers can no longer afford to ignore the safety aspects of the craze.
"There is extreme stuff going on, and being from a construction background I get safety pushed on me every day. A lot of people don't even think about it," he said.
"I've noticed the Gladstone planking page was pulled immediately offline even before the media caught hold of the story. We took the tack of keeping our page there and really letting all the people who watch us know to do it safely.
"The Brisbane Planking Association is all about planking smart and planking safe. It's not about being a hero or a daredevil. Think before you plank, and don't drink and plank."
Memorial planks
Beale's Facebook page is awash with messages of condolence. Facebook friend Hna N Skip describes him as a man who "made everyone feel loved and welcome like family".
But there are also many posts from trolls that mock his death and the planking craze.
Mr Litonjua says some plankers on Facebook have suggested holding events to honour Beale, who is believed to have been involved in planking for just one week.
"We've had a few suggestions come through and we haven't really pushed that point because it's quite a sensitive matter for the family involved," he said.
"Because the way that he passed away was involved in that, I don't think the family would really appreciate that point being pushed - they want to remember him for who he was, not the way he passed away."
While some have described it as a new fad, Mr Litonjua says planking has actually been around for quite some time.
"It all started actually in 2007 overseas, in Europe, and it was originally called the laying down game," he said.
Nicholas Carah, an expert in new media at the University of Queensland, says planking shot into the spotlight last week when police issued a Gladstone man with a court appearance notice after he was discovered planking on a police car.
"Attempts to control phenomenons (sic) like this inevitably amplify it," he said.
"The police were trying to make a stand but counter-intuitively it gave it much more publicity."
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From Friday May 19th
Quote:
Woolworths sacks workers for planking
SCORES of Australians suspended or sacked for planking have taken to Facebook to vent their frustration.
Woolworths, the country's biggest employer, has axed eight employees in three states for performing the potentially dangerous stunt on top of meat grinders, display shelves, trolleys and stacks of milk crates and then boasting about it online.
The sackings comes after Acton Beale, 20, from Brisbane, tragically fell to his death as he tried to plank the seven-storey balcony of his high-rise unit on Sunday.
The report of his death highlighted the internet craze and triggered a crackdown.
Woolworths said its sackings were due to staff putting their own safety, as well as that of other staff and customers, at risk.
The sackings follow the suspension of six school students for planking in Queensland, with police and education officials warning the fad will not be tolerated. McDonald's told its staff yesterday that planking was considered inappropriate behaviour in the workplace.
Caught in the act
In NSW, the manager and assistant manager of a Dick Smith electronics outlet - owned by Woolworths - were shown the door after the company discovered they had planked on a 2m shelving unit.
Two Victorian meat department employees were dismissed for planking on a mincing machine, while a Queensland casual worker was sacked for lying face down on a pile of milk crates.
Another three nightshift workers were sacked for planking on top of trolleys and display units. Many of those fired were employees who photographed the act.
Wade Loan, one of those sacked by Woolworths in NSW, posted on Facebook yesterday: "Only I could get fired for planking".
He has since become a fan of a Facebook page titled "Australia: The only country where lying down can be illegal".
Other Facebook reports include people fired for planking on raised forklifts and a student suspended from school for scaling a 1.8m wall.
More investigations
Woolworths told The Daily Telegraph newspaper it was investigating several other planking incidents.
A spokeswoman said the company became aware of the stunts when it was tipped off by colleagues and directed to images on Facebook.
But Woolworths risk and safety general manager Anthony Wilson said the company was not trying to be a killjoy.
Employees had put themselves and customers at risk.
"It's not about being the fun police, it's about making sure people are looking out for their own safety," Mr Wilson said.
"(Planking) is a direct contradiction of our safety and health policy. Our employees have a responsibility to ensure their own safety and the safety of those around them."
However, the company said today that it had sacked the workers for breaching health and safety rules, not planking.
One of the nation's leading workplace law firms, Slater and Gordon, said planking alone should not be grounds for sacking and employees could potentially sue for unfair dismissal.
Legal warning
Slater and Gordon's national head of employment law, Marcus Clayton, said that if employees were endangering themselves a warning might still be more appropriate.
Three students at Daylesford Secondary College in Victoria including the school's vice captain have reportedly been suspended for planking.
Meanwhile a "mass plank" planned in Albury on Saturday has been relocated after concerns were raised with organisers that it would desecrate a war memorial site.
More than 70 people have said they will attend, while a further 94 have been invited.
The group's members are now planning to "mass plank" the QE2 square instead of the proposed site at Monument Hill.
Members of the local RSL were reportedly worried about plankers disrespecting the site.
Police and education officials have warned the fad will not be tolerated.
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