Quote me
IOSH gets its message across…
The Guardian
IOSH President John Holden responded to an article from former
headteacher Shaun Halfpenny who admitted to starting the ‘conkers
with goggles’ myth. John told The Guardian:
“When we saw Mr Halfpenny’s article we didn’t
know whether to laugh or cry. On the lighter side, the 2004 conkers
‘ban’ gave us a way to use the story to expose the great health and
safety myth, where overzealous interpretation of health and safety
law, and plenty of encouragement from mischief-making media, has
fostered a risk-averse culture. IOSH used this opportunity to
sponsor the World Conker Championships for two years as a way to
show that conkers is safe, harmless fun, and that health and safety
has no intention of stopping children from enjoying this
traditional ritual.
“On the darker side, however, the conkers
story has continued to be reported as fact. The great danger of
trivialising our health and safety is, of course, that we fail to
protect ourselves when it really is needed.”
Telegraph.co.uk and Mail online
John also criticised a golfer for suing his club for £50,000 in
damages after claiming he fell in a changing room shower because it
was “too slippery”. John said:
“We need to move away from ‘where there’s
blame, there’s a claim’ culture to one where every individual is
willing to accept some responsibility for their own safety and to
manage the risks they face.
“We need to move towards a more risk
intelligent society where people are aware of, and can deal with,
the minor hazards all around us.”
Northampton Chronicle and Echo
IOSH immediate past-President Nattasha Freeman spoke to the
Northampton Chronicle and Echo about the Health and Safety at Work
Act, which celebrated its 35th birthday in October. Nattasha
said:
“It’s a truly brilliant piece of legislation
which has contributed to saving many thousands of lives. The clever
thing about the HSWA has been its ability to adapt to change – the
Britain of 1974 was very different to that of today.”
Wiltshire Business, Simply health, News Letter and Aviva
online
IOSH President John Holden pointed out that people in some jobs,
such as those working in shops, pubs and restaurants, often find
themselves under greater levels of pressure during the festive
season. He said:
“Employers have to be aware that the festive
period is a time when people’s financial worries peak. Given the
year we’ve just had, people may also be anxious about the security
of their jobs, and parents who have to work during the festive
period have the added task of sorting out childcare.
“So, it’s time for employers to be extra
vigilant. Work is not always the key factor behind pressured people
coming down with stress, but it can be the straw that breaks the
camel’s back. Bosses need to be aware of their duty to ensure the
health and safety of their staff.”
Personnel Today online
John also spoke to Personnel Today about what employers can do
to cut sickness absence among its employees. He said:
“Work-related ill health is a major problem
in the 21st-century workplace, and it needn’t be. Last year, 24.6
million working days were lost as a result, and more than two
million people suffered an illness they put down to work. We need
better management to stop staff getting ill, and better support to
help those with health problems stay at or return to work.
“More employers should be encouraging their
staff to lead healthy lifestyles. They can do this by offering free
health check-ups, fitness and dietary advice, and ensuring they
have access to health food and fitness centres. After all, healthy
staff are less likely to be sick, and likely to be more
productive.”