036/W/08 - 29 January 2008

Powys County Council joins HSE to hit back at ‘health and safety’ myths

Powys County Council today signed up to the Health and Safety Executive’s (HSE) campaign to combat the growing number of myths that are undermining important health and safety legislation.

Chief Executive of Powys County Council, Mark Kerr today joined Terry Rose, HSE Director for Wales, 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.

The signing took place in County Hall, Llandrindod Wells today. The campaign was first launched at the Local Government Association’s (LGA) annual conference in Birmingham on 3 July last year where a number of local authority Chief Executives joined Geoffrey Podger, HSE Chief Executive, in publicly signing up to the ten principles.

Terry Rose, Regional Director, 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 what Powys Council wants and not what the law requires.

"HSE’s ‘myth of the month’ series demonstrates the sorts of tales which undermine the importance of health and safety in the workplace. This month’s myth is that it is health and safety experts’ New Year resolution to make the lives of business people as miserable as possible. This really is a myth.

"We 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."

He continued, "I invite all Local Authorities in Wales to follow Powys and join with us in tackling this 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."

Powys County Council is among the first local authorities in Wales to commit to a proportionate and focused approach to risk management. 

Mark Kerr, Chief Executive, said:

"While the health and safety of our workers and the public we represent has always been top priority for us, stories of ‘health and safety gone mad’ have undermined the good work we and other councils do to protect people.

"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 not bureaucratic back covering".

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

Notes to editors

Sensible risk management is about:

1. Ensuring that workers and the public are properly protected
2. 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
3. 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
4. Enabling individuals to understand that as well as the right to protection, they also have to exercise responsibility

Sensible risk management is not about:

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

Issued on behalf of the Health and Safety Executive by Government News Network Wales. MEDIA ENQUIRIES ONLY: 0844 800 6823.