SafetyProBlogs Archives - Page 2 of 2

08 Dec

2010

Safety Manuals – Murray Hurry knows a thing or two

Simon Lawrence Audits, Blogs, Murray Hurry No Comments

This is the first article in our What Not Safety Series – a light hearted look at safety management systems. Gudday mate, Murray Hurry here, your Corporate Safety Officer. You remember me, the guy with those Safety Manuals you had to help lift out of my hire car? Sorry it wasn’t convenient that day but we never thought the audit would happen …

06 Oct

2010

Fear of failure and pencil-whipping

Simon Lawrence Blogs, Grumpy, Safety Culture, Zero harm No Comments

I suspect that directors and managers so often end up injecting fear into their organisations by their table thumping approach to health and safety. How many times have we found that organisations claiming to have long and distinguished “zero accident” records are simply kidding themselves? They may even believe their own all-important statistics, …

10 Feb

2010

Do gooders – please take note

Simon Lawrence Blogs, Grumpy, Managing Risk, Nanny State No Comments

This blog is about do gooders. You might be surprised at my dismissive tone. Sometimes, however, do gooders just need to be put in their place. You see, during the recent “Big Freeze” in the UK, householders were warned by their local authorities that clearing the snow from the public footpath and not doing it well could land them in court …

10 Feb

2010

Acceptable risk and church committees

Simon Lawrence Blogs, Grumpy, Managing Risk, Nanny State No Comments

Every year, my volunteer firefighter colleagues and I take part in the local santa parade. This isn’t your big city affair, just a 20 minute cruise down our local main street. Fire engine lights and sirens, a wave to the kiddies, hand out a few sweets and go home. Everyone loves it, the guys get a bit of recognition and the kids get tooth …

26 Apr

2009

Road safety – time to get serious

Simon Lawrence Blogs, Fixes, Grumpy, Managing Risk, Road Safety No Comments

Time for New Zealand drivers to get serious about road safety. I have the solutions, so don’t panic. It should have been clear to anyone with half a brain and it should have been done 40 years ago. No one had the vision or political will. They still don’t, so it’s up to me to rant and rave. First, let’s go back in time. To November 26th 1979 …

26 Apr

2009

Individual responsibility for safety

Simon Lawrence Blogs, Grumpy, Managing Risk, Nanny State No Comments

I can’t help but think that we are well overdue for a very long awaited re-adjustment in the way we deal with individual responsibility in society. For decades we have been moving inexorably down a path, initiated by Grey People, of subjugating everything “individual” in favour of the common good, the group, the community, the disadvantaged, …

26 Apr

2009

Risk. How about a little more in our lives?

Simon Lawrence Blogs, Grumpy, Managing Risk, Nanny State, What's New No Comments

More in the ongoing and entertaining developments in the UK health and safety arena. There is a refreshing campaign by safety authorities, politicians and the insurance industry. They want to stop “jobsworths” who give health and safety a bad name. Bureaucrats have been hiding behind “health and safety” to avoid personal responsibility …

26 Apr

2009

Top Gear – will it survive the grey people?

Simon Lawrence Blogs, Grumpy, Nanny State, Road Safety No Comments

Last week, Richard Hammond, otherwise known affectionately as “Hamster” by his co-presenters Jeremy Clarkson and James May, crashed a jet car while performing a speed run for the top rating BBC programme “Top Gear”. There was a collective sucking in of breath from the safety vultures. It seems Richard will survive. All Top Gear …

26 Apr

2009

Balanced risks in society

Simon Lawrence Blogs, Grumpy, Managing Risk, What's New No Comments

The Fire Service is in a dangerous business. They walk into places when we are running out. It’s their job. Tempting, perhaps, to assume that accepting danger is part of the deal. But the Fire Service Commission has the same safety responsibilities to their employees as any other employer. They just can’t walk away when the going gets tough. …

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