Posted By Bill Butchart
Twice in the last few days, I have heard the BBC reporting on health and safety as the reason for stopping things. The most notable was the poppy used in the poppy day fundraising where the pin was being replaced for "Health and Safety reasons" during the interview following, the representative of the foundation explained that although health and safety came into the decision it was also a large saving to change to stick on tabs and get rid of the pin.

This is the kind of stuff that causes our profession to suffer derision from the workforce and wrecks a lot of good work.

As an ex BBC Safety adviser, I find it even more annoying.

When are going to be able to fight back and stop this kind of bashing on the media ?

The HSE are trying with their myth of the month program but it doesn't seen to be getting any media attention at all.

Posted By Robert K Lewis
I personally think we hit the "conkers risk assessment" statement to much and in such a way that we do not create the media interest for our press releases to be picked up.

With regard to the festive lights story there was a host of myth in it including the new regulations banning ladders and expensive equipment too costly to use. Perhaps the IOSH response needs to address the LAs who are not prepared to spend a couple hundred of pounds to prevent crippling injuries to their staff? As for insurance this is already covered in their current arrangements so there is no additional costs to be met here. Just think of the range of activities that are done out of public gaze where the issues would not even be considered by officers and councillors.

Cost saving and cutting is at the root of these numerous stories and we need to highlight the people and their attitudes to human sufffering not the daft risk assessments. The media might then be interested in picking up the story.

Bob

Posted By Malcolm Adcock
Yes, we do have a challenge to overcome public prejudices reflected in the media.

That said, positive media coverage for IOSH over the past few days has been refreshing. Sponsorship of the World Conker Championships provided the opportunity to bust some myths.

From Saturday's Today programme on Radio 4 to this morning's Times, the IOSH position is clear - health and safety professionals are on hand to get a job done and not spoil things along the way; as far as conkers are concerned, people can have a bit of fun too. The Presidential team have done us proud on the airwaves, in print and in the conker contest.

As the newly appointed IOSH media manager, I am fully aware that some media outlets, including the Daily Mail and the Daily Express, may be tougher 'nuts to crack'. But we're determined to continue the project in changing media perceptions.

Malcolm Adcock

Posted By Heather Collins
I've raised the subject of getting the message over in the media before in the members' area (about 2 months ago - related to the subject of H&S blogs) and it disappeared in a sea of apathy. Good luck trying to start it again!

Posted By J Knight
Bob, you hint at what I see as the real problem, but i think it is much deeper. H&S bashing is, simply, political. There is an element within industry which has never accepted the post-war settlement of industrial relations etc, and which regards any attempt by the state to interfere in the employment relationship as wrong in principle. These people are a minority, but unfortunately they have disproportionate influence, and in a couple of cases this extends to the ownership of newspapers and other media organs.

If you think I'm being paranoid, consider the recent report by John Redwood, from the right of the Conservative party, proposing a 'review' of HASAWA in the name of a reduction or red-tape. Such a proposal is really only thinkable in the context of a popular culture which sees H&S as a joke or a burden, and which has lost sight of the protections it affords working people. I'm not identifying this extreme view of the employment relationship exclusively with the Tories, is is cross party, and in my view its going to be a tough nut for IOSH to crack; might take more than a size twelve knotted bootlace in fact,

John