Should Health and Safety rule our lives?
- HSC urges us to "Get a Life"
- Myths
- Children need to learn about risk
- HSC's Draft Principles of Sensible Risk Management:
- Let's stop back-covering
HSC
urges us to "Get a Life"
The UK Health and Safety
Commission (HSC), which is the policy body behind
the Health and Safety Executive (equivalent to
NZ's Department of Labour), in August 2006 urged
people to focus on real risks - those
that cause real harm and suffering - and stop using
health and safety as a petty excuse to limit and
prevent real life and real opportunities. To help
take this forward the Health and Safety Executive
(HSE) have launched a set of key principles: Practical
actions that they believe sensible risk management
should, and should not, be about.
Bill Callaghan, Chair of the HSC, said: "I'm sick and tired of hearing that 'health and safety' is stopping people doing worthwhile and enjoyable things when at the same time others are suffering real harm and even death as a result of mismanagement at work. (Hey, thanks, Bill, we agree - see our SafetyBlog).
"Some of the 'health and safety' stories are just myths. There are also some instances where health and safety is used as an excuse to justify unpopular decisions such as closing facilities. But behind many of the stories, there is at least a grain of truth - someone really has made a stupid decision. We're determined to tackle all three. My message is that if you're using health and safety to stop everyday activities - get a life and let others get on with theirs."
Children need to learn about risk
Author and adventurer Ben
Fogle said: "Children
encounter risk every day and it's important that,
through activities like those being carried out today,
they learn how to enjoy themselves but also stay
safe.
"I probably take more risks than most - and I wouldn't want my life to be any
other way. No one wants a world where children, in fact anyone, is wrapped in
cotton wool, prevented from taking any risks and scared of endeavour. That's
why I'm supporting HSE's launch and am happy to endorse these principles."
HSC's Draft Principles of Sensible Risk Management:
Sensible risk management IS about:
- Ensuring that workers and the public are properly protected;
- Providing overall benefit to society by balancing benefits and risks, with a focus on reducing real risks - both those which arise more often and those with serious consequences;
- Enabling innovation and learning, not stifling them;
- Ensuring that those who create risks manage them responsibly and understand that failure to manage real risks responsibly is likely to lead to robust action; and
- Enabling individuals to understand that as well as the right to protection, they also have to exercise responsibility.
Sensible risk management IS NOT about:
- Creating a totally risk free society;
- Generating useless paperwork mountains;
- Scaring people by exaggerating or publicising trivial risks;
- Stopping important recreational and learning activities for individuals where the risks are managed; and
- Reducing protection of people from risks that cause real harm and suffering.
Commenting on the principles Jonathan Rees, HSE Deputy Chief Executive, said: "We want to cut red tape and make a real difference to people's lives. We are already taking action to put the principles into practice. Last month we published straight-talking guidance on risk management, but we cannot do this alone. That's why I welcome the broad alliance of support for this initiative - organisations representing employers, workers, insurers, lawyers, volunteers, health and safety professionals and many others who have made positive contributions to our approach".
"These principles build on all of this and will hopefully drum home the message that health and safety is not about long forms, back-covering, or stifling initiative. It's about recognising real risks, tackling them in a balanced way and watching out for each other. It's about keeping people safe - not stopping their lives."
We, at SafetyPro have supported common sense, celebrating life and the interests of business since we got started. Our whole approach to providing services and products has always been the "risk management" approach, rather than that of the purist. It is refreshing and encouraging to hear this sort of initiative emanating from the highest policy making level within the UK's safety administration.
The British system continues to be a model for us. The accident rates in the UK are among the lowest in the EU and the HSC is hugely influential. Any progress in their thinking will eventually filter down to us.
We hope it arrives before we plumb the depths of political correctness.
 |
Smart Safety Software >> |