HSE furthers the argument for sensible risk management

HSE press release E066:05 - 18 May 2005

The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) today spoke at the Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents (RoSPA) Safety and Health at Work congress to enhance the message of sensible risk management in the health and safety debate. HSE view sensible risk management as key to securing compliance with health and safety regulations and also vital to removing many of the myths surrounding the health and safety debate.

Promoting a sensible approach to health and safety is one of the main planks in the Health and Safety Commission's (HSC) strategy to 2010 and beyond.

Vic Coleman, HSE's head of planning, efficiency and finance, in his speech at the congress covered major topics in the risk debate, including: the trivial issues that are used to undermine the risk debate, the trade off's that need to be made to ensure health and safety doesn't become a burden and how seeking to eliminate all risks is neither practical nor desirable.

He commented: " HSC wishes to champion and promote its position, i.e. the middle ground, making the case for sensible risk control measures that are sensibly applied. Risk Assessment should not be viewed as a burden, they enable a company to identify where the risk is highest and can identify control measures that are in proportion to the risk."

Notes to editors

• Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents Safety and Health at Work Congress is being held 17 - 19 May 2005 at the NEC Birmingham Hilton Metropole.

• A copy of Vic Colemans presentation is available on HSE's website at www.hse.gov.uk/sensiblehealthandsafety

• HSC published its strategy for workplace health and safety in Great Britain to 2010 and beyond on 23 February 2004 (see www.hse.gov.uk/press/2004/c04007.htm). The strategy aims to promote a vision of health and safety as a cornerstone of a civilised society and to achieve a record of workplace health and safety that leads the world.

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