Posted By Roly Buss I wish I had a pound for everytime someone has said to me "but H&S is common sense isn't it?" I generally agree with them, with the proviso that you need a bit of knowledge and understanding to apply, but basically it is common sense. Many risks can be identified with simple common sense - others you need some knowledge to identify and others can only be identified by expert professional investigation, although their presence can be anticipated by common sense - e.g. asbestos. I once heard a story from a Safety Professional about common sense. He had engaged a painter to paint his pebble-dashed house, and discovered him raking out a crack with an angle grinder and bits flying everywhere - no eye protection. He called the painter down and explained about eye injuries, and the response from the painter was "you don't need to tell me - look, I have already lost one eye!" (With appologies to the story originator if he is reading this) Roly

Posted By Safe System common sense... something most operatives on site leave at home when they leave for work.

Posted By GeoffB4 Personally use the term 'good sense'.

Posted By Alan Hoskins Common sense developes from our life experience and acquired knowledge, so not everyone will have the same 'level' as it were...

Posted By clairel Common sense is taught. It's common sense to you and me to look before crossing the road but its not common sense to a one year old. That child has to be taught that is is 'common sense' to look before crossing. Also what a lot of people refer to as common sense is actually perception (eg, perception of level of risk) and we all have a different perception. Hence the exmple above about overtaking in the rain is perception. You may slow down in the rain to a speed I perceive to be too slow and my perecprion may be that it is then safe to overtake. Your perception may be different of that same situation. Nothing common sense about it. Just perception. Common sense + bad term.

Posted By water67. Hi, sorry don't go with the "common sense" view. Why? it's generally not very common! it is primarily a learned response..thus no two individuals will have the same "common sense" if you take it to any depth..what similar common sense would a middle class safety officer from no 1 any street uk have i common with a local from number 1 any street congo? cheers have nice weekend..sun is shining..beer will hopefully be cold.... cheers

Posted By Neil R Theres no such thing as common sense, the whole myth of common sense is flawed, peoples perceptions are individually different Some people don't see a problem in standing on the top rung of a ladder, others wouldnt do it in a million years, some people are happy to work in the middle of a live highway others insist the traffic management is spot on... Sadly 'sense' is not common place so therefore common sense itself doesnt exist.

Posted By Graham Watson I like this quote: "Common sense in instinct, enough of it is genius." So I guess we shouldn't expect too much from ourselves or others. Have a nice sunny weekend. Graham