HSE/E/78/08 18 June 2008

Colchester Borough Council joins HSE to hit back at health and safety myths

Colchester Borough Council has signed up with the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) campaign to combat the growing number of myths that are undermining health and safety legislation.

Chief Executive of Colchester Borough Council, Adrian Prichard and Pamela Donnelly, Executive Director with responsibility for Health and Safety, joined HSE Head of Ops for the East, Geoff Baker to publicly sign up to ‘ten principles of sensible risk management’ which gives organisations practical advice on what risk management should – and should not - be about.

Geoff Baker said: "We've all heard the stories about health and safety banning hanging baskets or making children wear goggles to play conkers. This is not what we are about – it is not what HSE wants, not want Colchester Council wants, and not what the law requires.

"We both want to focus our attention on practical steps that protect people from real risks that can lead to injury and death; we do not want to stop people from living their lives.

"I am inviting all the East’s local authorities to follow Colchester Council’s example and join with us in tackling the issue by publicly signing up to ‘sensible risk’. Together we can embed these principles into our working culture and ensure the decisions we make focus on the real task of saving lives and preventing injuries and ill health."

The initiative was launched at Colchester Castle Museum – a symbol of Britain's oldest recorded town – which is owned and operated by the Council.

Geoff continued: "Colchester Museum has a good record of promoting sensible risk with hands-on displays, activity hours for infants and organised school trips."

Adrian Prichard said: "Protecting the health and safety of our workers and the community we represent has always been a crucial issue for us. Exaggerated stories of health and safety risk undermining the good work we and other Councils do to protect vulnerable members of society.

"We are proud to sign up to protecting our workers and community through sensible health and safety policies and commit to focusing on saving lives."

Further information can be found at http://www.hse.gov.uk/risk/index.htm

Notes to editors

Principles of sensible risk management.

Sensible risk management is about:

• Ensuring 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;
• 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;
• Reducing protection of people from risks that cause real harm and suffering.

Public enquiries:

Call HSE's InfoLine, Tel: 08701 545500, or write to: HSE InfoLine, Caerphilly Business Park, Caerphilly CF83 3GG.

Press enquiries (Journalists only):

John Stevenson
Tel:   01223 372790
Fax:  01223 372870

HSE information and press releases can be accessed on the Internet: http://www.hse.gov.uk/

Issued on behalf of the HSE by COI NEWS and PR.