Is Your Health and Safety Too Bureaucratic?

Health and safety has received a bad press of late, which is largely undeserved and the HSE has been at pains to dispel many of the myths that have built up. Charges such as too pedantic, too costly and too much red-tape.

It’s worth taking note of what the Chairman of the Health and Safety Commission, Bill Callaghan, has to say on the subject:

Keep things in proportion

"Ignore the trivia and headline-grabbing bans, and keep a sense of proportion when it comes to risk"

Typical Health and Safety Myths

"According to some stories, health and safety is a millstone around the neck of Britain, concentrating on trivial risks and petty bureaucracy to the detriment of citizens. It bans everything from doormats to Christmas decorations and makes children wear goggles while enjoying a game of conkers."

A more Balanced Attitude

"We must concentrate on practical steps to control the risks that cause real harm and suffering, and not on bureaucratic back-covering. Let us be clear - health and safety is about saving lives not stopping living."

The Results are Worth the Effort

"Deaths in Great Britain have fallen from around 1000 each year at the end of the 1960s to 212 in 2005/06. It concerns me greatly that the image of health and safety as petty bureaucracy will damage our ability to make a practical difference on the real risks."

But there is Still More to Do

"Whilst the evidence shows that improvements are being made in some areas, such as the on-going reduction in days lost, we must not lose sight of the task ahead in preventing fatalities and major injuries."

At EDP we believe that if workers cannot appreciate the need for policies and procedures, they are not likely to be very cooperative when implementing them.

Consequently, we endorse a balanced and pragmatic attitude toward health and safety that aims to deliver true, tangible benefits with a minimum of red tape.