Posted By Jack Dave, you've obviously not read the original thread properly. If you do, you will see that this was mainly about newspaper hype. Try and keep up.

Posted By Sean Fraser Very true Dave - like subjects such as IT security, you don't see it when it's working but boy is it obvious when it doesn't! Our profession is plagued by mis-undertanding, deliberate or otherwise, and the perpetual temptation of management to cover their incompetence by blaming it on "'elf and safety in'nit?". As professionals who appreciate proportionate risk, we can make even the most dangerous of activities safer by simply assessing and understanding them - project the likely consequences and the probability of them happening - so we can mitigate as far as possible. It is this thorough knowledge of the hazards and risks that allow fire brigades to do what they do so successfully. An amateur might just rush in, but a professional weighs the dangers and decides appropriately. We have discussed the fact that alot of this behaviour is driven by the bogeyman called compensation - the ephemeral fear of being sued being continually reinforced by sensationalist and hysterical media which over time becomes accepted fact, simply proving Goebbals assertion that if you repeat the lie often enough people will come to believe it. The price of a relatively free press, I suppose. In fact, studies are now shonwing that there is not a substantial increase in successful claims being brought forward, but this isn't reducing these continuing fears. Never let the facts get in the way of a good story! What can we do? Well, moaning about it achieves little. Waste of time. Good professional conduct, continued education of the general populace to the concept of risk perception and proportionate action, and not allowing ourselves to be swept up in the tide and endorse knee-jerk reactions without stepping back, getting sufficient information and making a valid assessment before acting. Leadership by example.

Posted By David Wallington Bob the builder does not wear goggles in OZ