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Lishka0  
#1 Posted : 28 May 2020 10:05:44(UTC)
Rank: Forum user
Lishka0

Hi everyone

I don't know about anyone else but it seems that the current COVID situation for me has raised the profile of Health, Safety and Wellbeing to heights I was only ever dreaming of before lockdown. I am finding that the interest in risks, PPE, discussions on face masks has shot up more than it did for interest in silica and other construction dusts.

Suddenly everyone is talking about risk assesments, scoring matrices, controls and managing risk. I for one are loving the fact that our profile is being raised and the importance of H&S Practitioners is being recognised.

My question is though, why is it that suddenly everyone is focusing on risk assessments, PPE and managing safely, its nothing new?!  and how we can tap into this to keep the momentum going on other H&S hazards?

I was wondering if anyone would like to share their thoughts please?

Roundtuit  
#2 Posted : 28 May 2020 12:43:22(UTC)
Rank: Super forum user
Roundtuit

Has it raised the profile or is it the stick no one wants to grasp that every organisation needs a scapegoat for?

thanks 8 users thanked Roundtuit for this useful post.
A Kurdziel on 28/05/2020(UTC), chris42 on 28/05/2020(UTC), Snwdrp84 on 01/06/2020(UTC), nic168 on 01/06/2020(UTC), A Kurdziel on 28/05/2020(UTC), chris42 on 28/05/2020(UTC), Snwdrp84 on 01/06/2020(UTC), nic168 on 01/06/2020(UTC)
Roundtuit  
#3 Posted : 28 May 2020 12:43:22(UTC)
Rank: Super forum user
Roundtuit

Has it raised the profile or is it the stick no one wants to grasp that every organisation needs a scapegoat for?

thanks 8 users thanked Roundtuit for this useful post.
A Kurdziel on 28/05/2020(UTC), chris42 on 28/05/2020(UTC), Snwdrp84 on 01/06/2020(UTC), nic168 on 01/06/2020(UTC), A Kurdziel on 28/05/2020(UTC), chris42 on 28/05/2020(UTC), Snwdrp84 on 01/06/2020(UTC), nic168 on 01/06/2020(UTC)
A Kurdziel  
#4 Posted : 28 May 2020 12:54:15(UTC)
Rank: Super forum user
A Kurdziel

There is a difference between everybody talking about H&S and people thinking about H&S. A lot of the time people are not doing the risk assessment thing and deciding what this means to themselves in their actually workplace but are just waiting for someone to tell what to do. Usually this involves blindly following government advice (such publishing risk assessment on external websites-see relevant threads about that) or jumping on any passing bandwagon. When the dust settles someone will need to look how much money and resource was wasted on things like FFP3 masks for every employee and the company dog at a fiver each. At that point the poor H&S person will get the blame.  

 

Edited by user 28 May 2020 13:48:15(UTC)  | Reason: too many conditions

thanks 1 user thanked A Kurdziel for this useful post.
Roundtuit on 28/05/2020(UTC)
toe  
#5 Posted : 28 May 2020 20:11:10(UTC)
Rank: Super forum user
toe

Originally Posted by: Lishka0 Go to Quoted Post

Hi everyone

Suddenly everyone is talking about risk assesments, scoring matrices, controls and managing risk. I for one are loving the fact that our profile is being raised and the importance of H&S Practitioners is being recognised.

This is a good point. I think H&S practitioners are being respected for their profession at this time, than any time I can ever remember. But, these are unprecedented and exceptional circumstances. 

russ pt  
#6 Posted : 29 May 2020 13:58:08(UTC)
Rank: Forum user
russ pt

The profile of COVID19 in the media is massive, far more air time than BREXIT (remember that) and the newpapers are full from cover to cover. This is a far cry from the Daily Mail and Elf and Safety nonsense they usually publish.

Also the workplace attitude 'we've always done it this way we know better' that can be experienced, especially around health as the risks are not immediate.

Then comes along COVID19. We don't know anything about it, people are suffering and dying, we can't go out, we don't know better, the papers and news are scaring us. Who do we call?

I believe that is the reason our profile has lifted. However let's wait for the crash, not helped by certain government advisors. When normality resumes we'll be seen as the blockers again by some, I'm sure.

Thankfully for me I believe my opinions and guidance are valued by my organisation and Managers if not always by the Supervisors and shop floor. But unfair to tar all with the same brush as we hear the knockers and not the praises.

RayRapp  
#7 Posted : 30 May 2020 08:54:32(UTC)
Rank: Super forum user
RayRapp

I would assume when things blow over the usual apathy with return. At present most people are still on high alert and conscious of being infected with Covid-19. It reminds me of the Grenfell Tower aftermath, staff and residents were unusually receptive to fire related interventions - regrettably this will wane with time. 

stevedm  
#8 Posted : 31 May 2020 07:39:15(UTC)
Rank: Super forum user
stevedm

Do you really believe your profile has been lifted?  All I have seen in the past few months is that people and organisations that were good before have gotten better and the people and companies who were bad before have gotten worse....let me qualify that slightly...those organisations that did respect safety and value thier safety people have, quite rightly, relied upon them to provide the goods....organisations that didn't have just either shut down or rallied against social distancing measures and bought the wring PPE.... :)

It may be that your organisation was one of the good ones before...  :)

thanks 2 users thanked stevedm for this useful post.
A Kurdziel on 01/06/2020(UTC), Wailes900134 on 01/06/2020(UTC)
nic168  
#9 Posted : 01 June 2020 15:42:15(UTC)
Rank: Super forum user
nic168

 I think SteveM has a point, for most of us it is not a faise in profile, more a realisation that we might have soem useful skills and experience that can be applied in a hurry. When BAU ( Business As Usual) has begun to emerge then we will be back to the usual status and back in the box.

I have seen some really awful Risk Assessments full of  TLAs in the last week so am feeling a little cranky

stevedm  
#10 Posted : 02 June 2020 06:41:32(UTC)
Rank: Super forum user
stevedm

...you should be a health professional seeing the risk assessmemts that some clients have done...it beggers belief...some of the organisations in Africa have instisted in steaming...yes steaming..thier staff before entry to the facility...guess what we have had a spike in lung and ear infections!!...you have got to say maybe this is god's Darwin Award moment... :)

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