Health and Safety - mything the point!

A few months ago the Prime Minister declared his intention - 'kill off the health and safety culture for good'. The argument was that it was too easy to pursue claims for injuries at work and that Health and Safety Laws were out of control.

For those dealing with cases for those who were injured in the workplace, this was a long way from the reality. In fact most places of work have been considerably safer over the last 30 years or so since the Health and Safety Executive was established in the 1970s. We have seen the introduction of many regulations that have saved lives and reduced injuries at work. These include regulations relating to Asbestos and other hazardous substances, Noise exposure, working at height, working with keyboards – the list goes on.

This is something for which we should all be grateful and certainly not something to be killed off.

These attacks on Health and Safety are often fed by press reports about the effect that they supposedly have on ordinary activities.

It is encouraging therefore that the HSE have now published a top 10 Health and Safety Myths. We are assured that none of the following are true -  

·  Children being banned from playing conkers unless they are wearing goggles

·  Office workers being banned from putting up Christmas decorations

·  Trapeze artists being ordered to wear hard hats

·  Pin the tail on the donkey games being deemed a health and safety risk

·  Candy floss on a stick being banned in case people trip and impale themselves

·  Hanging baskets being banned in case people bump their heads on them

·  Schoolchildren being ordered to wear clip on ties in case they are choked by traditional neckwear

·  Park benches must be replaced because they are three inches too low

·  Flip flops being banned from the workplace

·  Graduates ordered not to throw their mortar boards in the air

The full article can be found at

http://www.hse.gov.uk/myth/top10myths.htm

We need to separate the reality from the myths which are spun by those who wish to de-regulate the workplace.

If employers disregard regulations enacted to protect workers then they and their insurers should pay the cost. We should celebrate the real Health and Safety culture which saves lives and not tolerate the use of cheap stories to undermine the grat changes that have happened over the last 30 years.

http://www.eadsolicitors.co.uk/accidents-at-work.aspx

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