A recent thread on here set me thinking about why we sometimes have such differences of opinion when we all know that H&S is "just common sense" (ducks quickly). Our training and education may be broadly similar yet our responses to simple questions can be markedly different. Is it perhaps our roles that create the difference or is it maybe our perceptions of how our jobs need to be done? Some of us see our role as protecting workers, others as protecting employers, others as protecting the public, others as preventing harm and others still as enforcing law. Thus the practitioner that believes in "getting things done" may be performing a very function from the practitioner who ensures that corporate H&S risk management goals are being achieved whilst the enforcer answers to different bosses than the safety representative. Discuss. (90 mins, 120 marks)

I'd say it is our roles that create the difference. I've recently changed jobs from a mostly on site role as a safety officer, where I was there to prevent harm to the personnel that worked there, to an office based role where it is very much about risk management.

Education, education, education...... educate Designers educate Clients educate the Workforce educate Principal Contractors educate other Health and Safety Practitioners and finally.....educate friends and colleagues about this 'scape goat' Health and Safety burden that is supposedly suffocating business and preventing Mrs Miggins from hanging out her basket!

Few year ago we did 101 things now if we are lucky its 1001 – what you do depends on the industry and organisation - yes we can apply much common sense to safety but ‘health’ - many practitioners are called H&S but don’t go near health related matters. I’ve gone from in the early days of implementing HSG 65 systems in to organisations to now picking up business continuity and in-between I’ve have fire, environment, and quality, insurance and of course all the HR problems they don’t want!!!!! These are the hard roles of the trade. Then we have the soft – councillor, shoulder to cry on, referee, arbitrator you name it – then when we need a soft role for support we are in the loneliest job in the word.

To save the business money.