"Get a life", says HSC

C021:06 22 August 2006

The Health and Safety Commission (HSC) today urged people to focus on real risks - those that cause real harm and suffering - and stop concentrating effort on trivial risks and petty health and safety. To help take this forward the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) today launched a set of key principles: practical actions that we believe sensible risk management should, and should not, be about. The principles can be found at Risk website.

Launching the principles at a children's sailing centre in north London, Bill Callaghan, Chair of the HSC, said: "I'm sick and tired of hearing that 'health and safety' is stopping people doing worthwhile and enjoyable things when at the same time others are suffering real harm and even death as a result of mismanagement at work.

"Some of the 'health and safety' stories are just myths. There are also some instances where health and safety is used as an excuse to justify unpopular decisions such as closing facilities. But behind many of the stories, there is at least a grain of truth - someone really has made a stupid decision. We're determined to tackle all three. My message is that if you're using health and safety to stop everyday activities - get a life and let others get on with theirs."

Lending support to the principles, author and adventurer Ben Fogle said: "Children encounter risk everyday and its important that, through activities like those being carried out today, they learn how to enjoy themselves but also stay safe.
"I probably take more risks than most - and I wouldn't want my life to be any other way. No one wants a world where children, in fact anyone, is wrapped in cotton wool, prevented from taking any risks and scared of endeavour. "That's why I'm supporting HSE's launch and am happy to endorse these principles."

Sensible risk management IS about:

• Ensuring that workers and the public are properly protected;
• Providing overall benefit to society by balancing benefits and risks, with a focus on reducing real risks - both those which arise more often and those with serious consequences;
• Enabling innovation and learning, not stifling them;
• Ensuring that those who create risks manage them responsibly and understand that failure to manage real risks responsibly is likely to lead to robust action; and
• Enabling individuals to understand that as well as the right to protection, they also have to exercise responsibility.

Sensible risk management IS NOT about:

• Creating a totally risk free society;
• Generating useless paperwork mountains;
• Scaring people by exaggerating or publicising trivial risks;
• Stopping important recreational and learning activities for individuals where the risks are managed; and
• Reducing protection of people from risks that cause real harm and suffering.

Commenting on the principles Jonathan Rees, HSE Deputy Chief Executive, said: "We want to cut red tape and make a real difference to people's lives. We are already taking action to put the principles into practice. Last month we published, straight-talking guidance on risk management, but we cannot do this alone. That's why I welcome the broad alliance of support for this initiative - organisations representing employers, workers, insurers, lawyers, volunteers, health and safety professionals and many others who have made positive contributions to our approach.

"These principles build on all of this and will hopefully drum home the message that health and safety is not about long forms, back-covering, or stifling initiative. It's about recognising real risks, tackling them in a balanced way and watching out for each other. It's about keeping people safe - not stopping their lives."

Note to Editors

1. Ben Fogle was joined by Bill Callaghan and Jonathan Rees at West Reservoir sailing centre in Hackney, north London on Tuesday, 22 August. Digital images from the day can be obtained from the HSE Press Office.

2. Five Steps to Risk Assessment and example risk assessments can be found on the risk management web pages on the HSE website. The pages are written in everyday language for managers, not health and safety experts and include links to more information and a section for frequently asked questions.

3. In 2005/06 212 workers were killed and 384 members of the public were killed following a workplace incident. The latest injury statistics for 2004/05 show that during this period 150,559 major and over-3-day injuries were reported. This period also saw 35 million working lost days overall (1.5 days per worker), 28 million due to work-related ill health and 7 million due to workplace injury. Further information on HSE statistics.

4. The HSC has overall responsibility for occupational health and safety regulations in Great Britain. The commission consists of 10 people nominated by bodies with an interest in workplace health and safety. They are sponsored by the Department of Work and Pensions (DWP). The DWP minister for occupational health and safety is Lord Hunt of Kings Heath.

5. The HSE and Local Authorities are the enforcing authorities that work in support of the Commission. HSE looks after health and safety in nuclear installations, mines, factories, farms, hospitals and schools, offshore gas and oil installations, the safety of the gas grid and the movement of dangerous goods and substances, and many other aspects of the protection of workers and the public.

Press enquiries

All enquiries from journalists should be directed to the HSE Press Office