As of late, the health and safety culture has come under fire from a number of angles due to some rather questionable 'health and safety' stories making the national press. Indeed, over the past few months the papers have been full of peculiar decisions by businesses which are reportedly due to health and safety - including Newcastle racecourse banning picnics due to visitors' chairs supposedly presenting a health and safety issue. Similarly, it was reported that factory workers in Plymouth were left in tears after their wedding rings were cut off due to health and safety.
To many, these decisions seem unfair, unjust and perhaps even a little bit silly. Many have spoken out about how our health and safety culture has 'gone mad' or is 'ruining childhood'. The truth is, however, that it isn't the health and safety culture which has run amok - rather, it is the businesses who are willing to use health and safety as an excuse for their decisions. The health and safety blame game has developed in such a way that the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) has developed a myth-busting panel who will independently challenge advice or decisions supposedly made in the name of health and safety they believe to be inaccurate or disproportionate.
Indeed, the HSE Myth Busters have spoken out about some ludicrous decisions made in the name of health and safety - including the Newcastle racecourse example we mentioned at the beginning of this blog - condemning these decisions, and stating that in fact these decisions have not been made in the name of health and safety.
As well as being damaging to the HSE's reputation, the health and safety blame game also presents us with a further problem with regards to health and safety itself. Blaming business decisions on health and safety is extremely damaging to health and safety as a whole; there are health and safety rules and legislations for any business and indeed almost any public place, and the rules are in place to save lives, protect safety and minimise any risk. It is vital that health and safety legislations are respected and followed - otherwise, we could be at risk of an increase in accidents and, potentially, fatalities.
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