Rank: Super forum user 
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We all know there's a vast amount of safety legislation and various guidance. Its easy to get lost in it sometimes. In terms of advising your employer or client in regards to safety issues or queries, have you ever given the incorrect advice? If so whats your approach for correcting this once you realize you may have made an error?
Happened to me recently, misread/ misunderstood the guidance around the working time directive for young people in regard to work experience. Its still bugging me now (I have since corrected my advice via email)
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Rank: Super forum user 
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Stonecold - we have all be wrong its only human - the important thing is learning from it and correcting it which you have done. Dont worry.
You only have to look on these boards at the many debates on interpretation...
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Rank: Super forum user
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Oh yes loads of times. You can only tell them what you know and do to your best abilities. So know you limits, double check stuff eg use forums like this to test the waters. Don’t rely on folklore, get rigorous advice from a good source which can be Wikipedia but if you do use Wikipedia check-up the sources it is using; don’t take it at face value.
Biggest blunder: told our fieldworkers who were working with bats (the flappy things that come out at night) that bat rabies (Lyssavirus) was not a risk to our staff and that they did not need to think about rabies jabs. A week later someone working for another organisation gets bit by a bat and dies. So I had to get all these people inoculated pronto.
PS this type of rabies is not the same as the one that dogs etc carry and is only an issue to someone who handles bats. Handling bats or disturbing them in anyway is illegal, unless you have a licence
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Rank: Super forum user 
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stonecold,
This reminds me of:
"The only man who never makes a mistake is the man who never does anything".
I think there is another "to err is human, to forgive divine".
Yes we have all made mistakes, some we spot before others.
You can only apologise and put things right, which it seems you have done, so sorted.
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Rank: Super forum user
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Hence the requirement for PI
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Rank: Super forum user
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Only the incompetent claim never to have been mistaken on something!!!
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Rank: Super forum user
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The problem comes when you don't know that you have given incorrect advice.
Something similar to Donald Rumsfolds statement... 'there are known unknowns and unknown unknowns'..... or something like that!!
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Rank: Super forum user 
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The man who has never made a mistake has never lived.
And I have lived.
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Rank: Super forum user
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Im over it now..:), onwards and upwards...on a positive note at least ive learnt something!
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Rank: Super forum user
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This is an issue that faces all of us, whether in health and safety or some other profession. The difficulty is knowing where the limits of our knowledge lie. As Mark Twain once said: "It ain't what you don't know that gets you into trouble. It's what you know for sure that just ain't so!"
Presumably we all give advice in good faith. How often do we check to ensure that our knowledge is up to date and correct? In my field scientific knowledge continues to expand and I frequently have to change my views on a particular aspect. It's a constant learning process, so it is not unusual to have to go back to a client and tell them that what I told them has now been superseded by new data and this impacts of what I advised them at the time.
Chris
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Rank: Super forum user 
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Its part of developing as a person I think- at the end of the day you cannot know it all, and what you do know you can mix up etc, as previously mentioned you went back on yourself- did the further work to clarify and you took steps to amend- I personally think that shows a better professional for being able to put your hands up and say you got it wrong and learn from it :-)
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Rank: Super forum user
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It can be relatively easy to do because we cover a vast area of law and moral responsibility, add to that often we cover environmental as well and it get's more challenging. Add to that many changes and new versions of laws which refers to previous laws and says things like, remove this word and change this word and the challenge just increases. Then of course we have case law to consider.
I have worked in many companies and whilst many do not disrespect our type of position many have little real clue about what we cover.
I often feel like saying "yes hold on a minute I need to go and spend a day researching and answer to that question you asked me in 10 seconds, just to be sure I give the most up-to-date advice".
I would also add that the HSE and lawyers make many mistakes it's just that often they do not publicise them.
It's life, learn from it and move on and remember that in the vast majority of cases we stop others making mistakes.
Regards.
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Rank: Super forum user 
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Rank: Super forum user 
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Yes and in quite senior positions !
Love the Lemon Juice part.
Chris
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Rank: Super forum user
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I worked for a while for Group Four in the Courts and once had a prisoner in who was caught while driving a stolen car and wearing glasses with no lenses.
He told me he had thought he was invisible 'cos there were no lenses.
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Rank: Super forum user 
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Brilliant ! Sums up people who have recently passed NEBOSH Certificate to a T, incuding me at that stage. For years I have been telling people "you don't know what you don't know" - now I have a reference.
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