Smitch - The answer to your topic title question is clearly not judging from the comments made by the Prime Minister (PM). Good analysis & response though by Richard Jones of IOSH HQ.

Though the PM's speech included "At long last, common sense is coming back to our country”, his citing of an alleged wholly inappropriate COSHH warning with a set of highlighter pens actually suggests that common sense remains a scarce commodity in the UK.

I've bought and used highlighter pens for years, but don't recall seeing any with COSHH warnings of the sort quoted. Has anyone else seen such warnings? My understanding is that such pens use inks which are water-based or involve relatively innocuous solvents - to the extent that I have no qualms about children in my employer's nursery schools using such pens. I would bet that kids and staff in almost every UK school use highlighter pens. The same goes for kids and parents in most households - including that of the PM! Also, he and other politicians, and their staff, probably use such pens themselves - just like pencils and ball point pens which equally pose no chemical risk to users of any age.

It's also probable that other people helped to compose the PM's speech and included the alleged COSHH advice. If so, it seems that the PM simply accepted and used the alleged COSHH advice in support of the theme about "the shadow of health & safety". Why didn't he quote the advice, describe it as bonkers - and then continued by saying that he would be asking HSE and others to look for and challenge mis-applications and misperceptions about H&S? If he had done so, he would have demonstrated a good example of the common sense which he suggests is coming back!

p.s. The spellchecker system didn't like the name 'Smitch' and suggested a variety of other names and words including Smirch, Snitch and Switch!

The road will be less long and winding if those of us who work in or support OS&H take available opportunities to promote the various benefits from the common sense application of health and safety.

IOSH is spearheading this theme with its commendable Li£esavings campaign as summarised at http://www.iosh.co.uk/ne...mpaign_life_savings.aspx IOSH members as individuals and collectively (at workplaces and within IOSH branches and districts) should have a good look at the campaign to identify what contributions they can make and not just leave it to people at IOSH HQ.

p.s. The spellchecker didn't like my surname and suggested some curious alternatives including Bligh and Beluga!

When you realise what actually happened during the times he refers to (Britannia ruling the waves) I am glad we have moved on.

Being asked about COSHH when buying something online is as mundane and banal as when my mom used to shout "Have you got a coat..?" as I slammed the door. It is something to tut at - not change your life over.

It is obvious that someone does not understand the meaning of the regs - but instead of helping people to overcome their ignorance, this lot cut HSE budgets, force councils to slash EHO numbers and suggest handing over control to yet more ill-advised and law-ignorant sub committees of locals.

Lets hope I live in an area where the committees know the elbow from their wotsit. (Yeah right).

Too true; it plays well with the target audience so what the hell ( http://www.guardian.co.u.../oct/05/theresa-may-cat.


At least Ken Clarke is speaking some sense: 'accusing her of using a "laughable, child-like" example to criticise the Human Rights Act'