Letters to the Editor
The Herald
200 Renfield Street
Glasgow
G2 3QB

15 June 2006

Dear Sir,

Can I assure you that the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) has no interest in making people excessively risk averse (Review, 13 June). Melanie Reid is quite wrong to suggest that health and safety law is preventing children from taking school trips or generally enjoying themselves. Health and safety is about taking practical actions to control real risks, not about trying to eliminate risk altogether.

Our resources are focussed on dealing with preventing deaths and injuries in the workplace and from work, which last year led to 33 deaths and 2,893 serious injuries in Scotland. Our staff are engaged full time, with employers and trade unionists, in trying to reduce these in order to prevent as far as possible the human misery they cause. We make no apology for this.

Geoffrey Podger
Chief Executive