Panarama H&S Program

[Amanda Grey]

Did anyone watch the Panarama program the other night about health & safety? I think it was called May Contain Nuts.

Although we all know that H&S can go a bit far there are a lot more people acting in a dangerous way than going over the top.

This is what a spokeperson from the HSE had to say about the program:

'Health and safety' is sometimes used as an excuse to save money or justify unpopular decisions - from banning hanging baskets to Christmas lights. This is a constant frustration to HSE. As Quentin Letts discovered, many of these decisions have little to do with real health and safety regulations.

HSE's work is not about wrapping people in cotton wool, but working with employers to reduce the numbers of families devastated by their loved ones being killed or injured.

I thought someone would have already debated this topic and I am sure Malc will have some comments on this.

[Malcb17]

I haven't replied because when i watched this it was the same old rubbish, the interviewer took the rip about H & S, passing over the relevent bits about the number of people that die or are maimed by work each year. I am tetchy about this I know so I tend to keep quiet. The HSE have never been very good at ing their corner, in fact until this year they never even answered reports in the newspapers for from idiots like jeremy Clarckson but now they write back and say their piece. IOSH who are the proffessional body that give me chartered status have sponsored and taken part in the conker championships without safety gear I might add. Just to show how they don't stop schoolkids doing field trips or councils putting up flower baskets etc.
I have put one of their cartoons in the photo album section, would have put one here but I don't know how but will find out.

[P&A Services Ltd]

I can't say i watched the program, but i can make a educated guess as to the content.

One thing i do have to say is that my personal experience is that the HSE are generally quite sensible with regard to H&S it's some of the nut jobs who try to interpret and implement it that come up with some of the insanity that is often blamed on H&S!

I'll always remember doing a job for one of the councils (that will remain nameless) a while back and being told that we were not allowed to work above 2mtr's (bearing in mind we needed to fix pipes just above the ceiling at 2.5Mtr) without a scaffold, harnesses, hardhat, 2 people working together to do the work plus a watcher to ensure nobody walks below the scaffold! Needless to say they got 4mtrs of the most expensive pipe we've ever fitted (think it worked out at £175 per meter)!

[Malcb17]

I do work for several local councils and worked for Southampton City Council for twelve years in H & S before starting my consultancy and yep you are dead right, people who have no understanding of how to do the job preaching to others as to "how the HSE want a job done" total C..P. The HSE have never been prescriptive, make it simple, make it safe and make sure you can justify what you have done...if you don't feel safe then you are not doing it right.
The great leveller has been the lack of money in local government which means what you went through has now mainly been replaced with sensible work practices. I was at the Olympic stadium yesterday now that opens your eyes as to what can be achieved, its on target for finish date and I think price with almost no accidents.

[JinaAlbert]

Health and safety is a basic principle and rule of every work place.Every worker wants to work at a healthy and secure place.
The place which is safe from all unexpected incidents and there should be an equal importance of every single employee.
HSE is much essential thing in making and formulating decisions saving lives of so many workers and maintain hygiene and safety in a workplace for a long time.