Eastern Daily Press - HSE response to letters section

Date:

5 October 2009

Dear Editor,

Inspectors with the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) are like most people - they appreciate a good joke.  And we hope Mr Malster's assertion (Letters, 5 October) that a 90-year-old man could be prosecuted by HSE for not wearing protective equipment when picking walnuts off the ground was just that - a joke!

We are focused on a common-sense approach to health and safety and the practical steps that protect people from real risks. We do not want to stop members of the public from living their everyday lives and I can assure your readers that they can happily go about picking walnuts without any involvement from HSE.

We have other nuts to crack to ensure serious health and safety rules are not flouted leaving workers seriously injured, or even killed.

Yours sincerely,

Geoff Baker                                                              

Head of Operations - East / South East 
Health and Safety Executive
Colchester Road, Springfield                               
Chelmsford CM2 5PF