Don't let health and safety rain on Remembrance Day parades

C015:07 15 October 2007

The new Chair of the Health and Safety Commission (HSC), Judith Hackitt, today called for action to ensure that bureaucracy in the name of health and safety does not needlessly interfere with Remembrance Day parades. She has written to local authorities and others asking for their support in maintaining a proper sense of proportion in the application of health and safety to these low risk events.

Judith Hackitt said: "Sometimes health and safety 'requirements' are blamed for imposing unjustifiable bureaucracy on Remembrance Day parades and commemorations. Remembrance events are very important to those involved and unnecessary disruption can cause a great deal of offence. I do not want to see actions taken in the name of health and safety needlessly interfering with what are generally low risk events. Most authorities are extremely sensible on issues like this, but I thought it worth writing out to colleagues in local authorities and others to make sure that we share a common understanding.

"There are obviously a few very large and complex events that require a high degree of planning to manage the risks and make sure they go smoothly. But the vast majority of are low risk and just require some decent planning; planning that has usually been honed over many years."

Adding his support to the plea, Paul Coen, Chief Executive of the Local Government Association (LGA), said: "The overwhelming majority of local authorities make proportionate and effective decisions when dealing with events such as Remembrance Day parades. Councils have an excellent track record of ensuring the smooth and successful running of a wide range of community events, but it is important every authority continues to adopt a sensible approach. It only takes one inappropriate decision taken on the grounds of health and safety to severely damage the reputation of local government amongst council tax payers. Remembrance Day parades are very important to many people, and it is essential that the planning processes are handled sensibly and sensitively."

Notes to editors

1. Judith Hackitt's appointment as Chair of the Health and Safety Commission (HSC) commenced on 1 October 2007. See www.hse.gov.uk/press/2007/c07014
2. The HSC has overall responsibility for occupational health and safety regulations in Great Britain. They are sponsored by the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP). The DWP minister for occupational health and safety is Lord McKenzie of Luton.
   
3. The HSE and Local Authorities are the enforcing authorities that work in support of the Commission.

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