Posted By Al.. A well presented programme giving a balanced view of the issues from the perspective of the man in the street. It was unfortunate however that the programme did not go further and probe into the underlying reasons for risk aversion (yes, a fear of compensation claims but also a failure to fully understand what the law requires along with perhaps poor advice from some members of our profession) and then go on to offer some suggestions as what we in the UK can do about it. It is rather easy to identify the problem. I would have liked to hear both Arthur Smith and Bill Callaghan suggest some solutions. Perhaps Mr Callaghan did but his thoughts then got lost in the editing. Al

Posted By J Knight Wasn't the 'ban on hanging baskets' to do with obstructing the highway rather than H&S? John

Posted By J Knight Steve, So the world has gone mad then. What was in the baskets? Oak trees? John

Posted By Carol Younger Managed to miss the programme but the article and picture of a Gym full of children in 1961 in the Daily Mail on Saturday brought back childhood memories - (since I left school in 1959). I despair that children are not being taught about hazards and risks before participating in any activity that could result in injuries, especially as each time an accident happens all the 'experts' in the press and on TV come out of the woodwork telling us what should have been in place to prevent it happening. At my school we were given a talk about the dangers of misusing any equipment in the gym. As each piece of aparatus was introduced we were told how to use it correctly before we were let loose on it. Our class numbers were 40+ pupils to one teacher, self discipline, obeying the rules and listening to the teacher was the key to avoiding accidents - H&S wasn't in anyone's mind instead it was the common sense approach...... and the threat of a letter to our parents. Compensation Culture? - lets combat it with a Common Sense Culture!

Posted By Al.. Towards the end of the programme Professor Heinz Woolf put forward the theory that natural selection favours risk takers rather than risk avoiders and that we have been “programmed” through evolution to take risks and therefore feel uncomfortable in a risk averse culture. He was filmed giving a science demonstration to a group of children. It looked to be just the sort of exciting chemistry which fuelled my excitement for science as a child and which, sadly, is much less frequently encountered in schools today. (Is it possible to buy home chemistry sets anymore and make smells, flashes and bangs in the garden shed?) Most people already agree we have gone too far in many respects in creating a risk averse culture. We want “sensible” health and safety to be the cornerstone of a civilised society and we want to the avoid the over zealous excesses which give the profession a bad name and detract from the excellent work which is being done in many workplaces. But how do we do it? All very well having a debate……..…but has it produced any suggestions for action yet? Is the place to start in the courts with compensation claims, or should the members of the health and safety profession start encouraging their employers to start taking more risks? That basket of flowers looks lovely. Just leave it there. It might pull the lamp post over…. but then again, it might not. Perhaps it's worth the risk?