Total waste of time, there are now so many panels and appeals processes that I'm losing track. Shame we can't appeal against the Prime Minister's obvious bias against health and safety and ask him to reformulate his views based on evidence rather than prejudice. This panel seems to be more a reaction to political bias than anything else.

Be interesting to see what happens the first time an accident happens at an event after the panel has overturned a decision!

I couldn't help noticing in the HSE press release on this subject that the purpose of this panel was to "look into complaints regarding the advice given by non-regulators such as insurance companies, health and safety consultants and employers...." http://www.hse.gov.uk/contact/myth-busting.htm With the inclusion of health & safety consultants in this list it might be prudent not to throw too many stones, at least yet. In the longer term, it would be illuminating to review the background of those peddling nonsense in the name of H&S. The them-and-us argument concerning qualifications, registration and competence would then become much more clear.

At last - a common sense initiative. It should certainly address a great deal of the disproportionate and very often incorrect "advice" peddled by insurance companies, trade bodies, prequalification scheme advisors and HS advisors/consultants. The first giant step in the right direction! Jon

Strapline "The panel with the voice of common sense" Oh Dear!!

I applied to be a member but was rejected. Perhaps I should not have said in my cover letter that I disagreed with the HSE Chair's decision to rebuke Wimbledon for not showing the floodlit game on the big screens in the rain last year due to H&S concerns.

If they are prepared to answer all the general fodder we get, it could make this forum redundant.