Interested to hear people's thoughts on this article. Makes a change to read a newspaper report which backs H&S and attacks Littlejohn etc.

http://www.independent.c...is-will-die-2275035.html

I thought it was a good article and certainly can only help dispel some of the myths on Health & Safety. However I am sure that there will be plenty of other papers who prefer to find more ways to undermine H&S efforts rather than support it. After all their versions sell more papers.

But at least one paper has taken a supportive stance, so there may be hope yet.

Mike

Its about time a newspaper finally came out in support of the H&S world. Its a fact that camerons down talking deregulation will create a race to the bottom and more people will die as a result.

Lets just hope he read it as opposed to making cakes for his risk assessment free street party

Interesting article, but it in my view ignores a massive elephant in the room - namely that people who are injured or suffer ill health due to work can sue - which many do. In my experience this (and the prompting of Insurance Companies, who pay the claims) is a bigger driver of safety than HSE in many cases.

Pikeman insurance companies are not the great ogres they are often painted as but they do have a serious financial side to everything they do. They will advise against doing anything simply because they really dislike paying out and will do anything to reduce the risk of that. They do not promote realistic health and safety. It is from unsurance companies that most stupid stories come from. Sensible health and safety management by a business or individual is the best way to avaoid serious injuryies from occurring. I have read the article in question and found it to be very interesting that it is pointed mainly at the gent who lives most of his life in America and only has investments in this country. The main point of the article is the risk we face from wholesale removal of H&S regulations which is much easier than repealing an act of Parliament as it has less scrutiny. The article itself is quite correct when it says that protection is being removed simply to pass the inevitable cost from those who create the risk to the state and who pays that, we tax payers do.

I remain, yours truly, and unimpressed.
The MOST costly item on the Business Costs list is the WORKING TIME DIRECTIVE, which comes-in at 17.8 billion pounds over ten years.
Most costly by miles as well.
AND totally unalterable by this, or any other, UK government. In fact, we may well be opted-out of the opt-out before long.
Many of the H&S reforms will be unreformable because they are tied-in to EU legislation.
I do do like to point-out that the EU laws take precedence over UK laws, and lawmakers.
Further, most little-englanders do not seem to grasp the reality that NO UK politician is interested in departing the EU.
Hot air from Westminster.
Nothing new, Nothing to See, Move-on.