Posted By Brigham
What's happened to this post? Am I missing something?

Posted By James Perry
Those Jedis and their mind tricks eh?

Posted By Brigham
I had just posted a response when the thread was removed but as I've not quoted from other sites, here's my response again

Everyone no matter what their persuasion is, is entitled to an opinion. I actually agree with Ewan on several of his comments, especially this nanny state we live in when we literally have to request to breath by ourselves. And yes, I do think we have too many rules and regulations in place to allow us as adults to make reasoned choices without pillory. With the upsurge in safety related legislation, have we actually succeeded in reducing accidents in proportion? I don't think so but that is MY opinion...
Does anyone really think that the plethora of H&S legislation makes their job easier? In reflection, it helps to make it a damn sight harder and it is on this issue that the bonkers, conkers brigade wipe the floor with us

Posted By J Knight
Sorry folks don't get the nanny state bit at all. I don't feel excessively constrained in anything I do or want to do, but perhaps that's because I'm a non-smoker who happens to feel that the Highway Code is a good way to regulate road traffic?

John

Posted By andrew pickup
I don't think the real issue here is the relation to health & safety, but more so the nanny state which we do currently live in and to which i would be inclined to agree with Ewan.

I am fully aware of the positive impact health & safety rules & regulations have on the general quality & sustenance of life, where previously these were lacking. However, does nobody else think that the general nanny state goes too far???

It gets to the point were we cant go anywhere without being watched, we cannot think for ourselves without being told what to think and our freedom of speech is only allowed if it fits in with certain political correctness. We are no longer a free country, but one where we are controlled on every aspect of what we do.

We are no longer allowed to discipline our own children in any way, shape or form (i am not advocating physical violence under any circumstances), but if you are honest, how many of us have done things when we were younger & got a clip round the ear, injured etc because of it? I bet you never made the same mistake again! We are no longer able to learn from our mistakes because every aspect of living is governed to the extreme.

As mentioned in a previous response, we shall be at the point were we have to request permission to breath!

The reduction of risks is of great value, until a certain point. Certain risks require to be taken in order to grow, mature, learn etc. If we lived in a totally risk free society we would never even get out of bed in a morning.

Posted By R Joe
The problem with the so called nanny state, in my view, is not that it's restrictive (I don't feel restricted) but that it's understanding of risk is completely out of kilter. We (society) now have a specific set of WaH regs for a (relatively) small number of accidents that could have been controlled within existing legislation with better enforcement and where according to the public 'stepladders are now banned' (TOTALLY predictable response and fuel for the ‘elf and safety’ brigade) whereas day-in day-out people will be exposing themselves unwittingly to ACMs and REAL danger as a result of the DIY and property boom obsession but complete lack of focus on this, and there is a growing iceberg of HIV positive young people waiting to explode when the govt finally realises it has completely taken its eye off the ball in this area of REAL danger for the last 20 years.

RJ

Posted By Pete48
Please get a life.
I meet a hundred real people with the same views every month, you will never change their approach to life. Their experiences may change them but you never will.
If he doesn't want to live here, he can always leave and go live in Africa or wherever he feels the country is run in a manner he feels is more appropriate. Or better still, do something really positive about changing this country for the better instead of riding about on a bike pontificating for the popular press.

Ooh that feels better. Time for lunch.

Posted By Bob Shillabeer
Just a little aside to all those who sem to opose the improvement in health and safety. Just imaging working for an employer who has such a disregard for H&S legislation that he does his own thing. What would be his position should an employee or anyone else be seriously injured or killed as a result of his actions. Would he be honest and say yes it was his fault and pay up the compensation and possibly go to jail? I think not because he will run straight for cover under the H&S legislation he so clearly dismisses as molly coddling.

Yes there may well be some areas where the law is somewhat OTT but this is being addressed with the help of the RR order legislation and yes it will take a long time. But, the HASAWA sets out a basis for managing the risk from such activities, in short it requires you to identify and assess the risks from any action undertaken while at work, etc and put in place ways of reducing the risk to as low as reasonably practicable.

Far from being out of control safety is only just becoming a controlled thing and that controll is very delecate because hwenever people tink the risk is under control is when it bites you.

Posted By J Knight
Brigham,

Its not the EU you know; really the main thing the EU has done is the Management Regs, and all that did was make explicit the implied duty to assess risk which has been in UK law since HASAWA in 1974. Yes, I know that lots of bits of law have originated in EU directives (WAH, DSEAR etc etc), but by and large they have merely been particular variations on the themes set out in MHSW regs.

UK H&S law has a long and honourable history, and the fact that EU initiatives are implemented well here speaks volumes for that history. If other EU countries don't implement EU law well, doesn't that make a good argument for making the EU more responsive, democratic and giving it greater teeth? Oh I see, its a reason just to knock it instead, sorry,

John