Hi All,

Are we the solution or problem in our various companies? The current president of Iosh asked this question at the end of his presentation at our branch meeting a few weeks ago and I have thinking about it since then.

When I started my current position I got the impression most of the senior mangers we anti Health and safety but after two years in the job I found that was not the case.What they needed was sensible risk management which will prevent people from having accident and help to go on with their jobs.

Are you the solution or problem in your company?

I think that very few health and safety practitioners are the 'problem'. The exception might be for some who are not much more than jobsworths getting above their station and asking for all sorts of ridiculous interventions - these are normally the client's representatives. The problem is exacerbated because many companies are not challenging the client or their representative for fear of biting the hand which feeds them. Adding to the problem is the huge amount of regulations, ACoPS and guidance which practitioners have to apply. Much of this is far too prescriptive and the HSE (as noted in the Lofstedt Report) are as guilty as anyone else for this sorry state of affairs.

I have noted in recent years there is a tendency to default to the lowest risk possible by health and safety practitioners, regardless of some of the benefits. Sometimes I think we need to be bolder rather just to say "no". There have been a number of initiatives which have crept into industry which provide little tangible safety - but have now been adopted as the norm. For example, mandatory PPE is now common place covering hard hat, goggles, gloves, boots, hi-vis, long sleeve tops, etc. Not all of these are necessary all the time for the task. Mandatory PPE is a lazy and an unprofessional method of managing safety.

Finally, as practitioners we look to our respected institutions to provide guidance and support eg IOSH, IIRSM, RoSPA, IEH, etc. However, these institutions have been sadly lacking in providing meaningful advice and highlighting poor practices which are blighting industry. Whatever you may think of the political reasons behind the Lofstedt Report, it was desperately needed to try and weed out some of the unnecessary interventions and regulations. Furthermore, if the President of IOSH asked me "am I the solution or the problem" he would be very sorry he did!

I think we can be both.............

I have worked with some excellent H&S (&E) professionals who bring solutions to the table and are held in good light by their employers even though they have stopped jobs in the past etc (last resort). I think it is the fact their employer knows they are reasonable and would only stop a job if they thought someone was in risk of injury. I have had the pleasure of learning from these professionals and they have helped shape who I am and how I work.

I have come across other (In my opinion) so called professionals who are your typical clipboard, checklist and to the textbook safety person. A lot of this type tend to not be flexible or to not like to be challenged and if something is not on their checklist they struggle to deal with it. I am not saying all checklists are bad or clipboards but it is the stringent and unflexible approach to such an approach. I have worked with people who like to say nothing and then use the written word to attack which then destroys any chance of trust. I have also had the pleasure of learning from these professionals and they have helped shape who I am and how I work.

Do not get me wrong I am not the perfect H&S professional and I am sure have flaws that need ironing out at times (bull in a china shop comes to mind) with a very direct approach that some people like and some people feel put off with it. I think we all just need to stay flexible and adaptable to the workplace and people we are dealing with and also be aware that we are not generally a genius in every subject.

I was always told 'A Good safety professional does not know everything but will know how to find the information and how to interpret it'. Add a flexible and adaptable approach with a bit of practicality and you should have someone who offers solutions and support rather than problems. Well my opinion anyway for what it is worth.

If I am the problem then I always try to bring at least one solution.

Normally talking, planning, co-operation and flexibility get the job done safely which is what pays my wages.
Balancing commercial viability and operational requirements without jeopardising H&S nearly always poses a problem but in my world it has to be done.

If I work on the basis that my task is to ensure that everyone who came to work today goes home at least as healthy as when they came, so that they can do the same for their employer tomorrow, how can I be part of the problem?

As normal a good post with some excellent points raised by posters.

Shaw you win my gold star of the week as this as hirers of plant is what we come up against every day.

Life would be a simple place if we could all say "that way is unsafe lets work together to get the safest way to do it".

Regards Alex