Cameron opens up the debate
02 December 2009
IOSH spokespeople were on the air and on TV
yesterday responding to David Cameron’s speech at the Policy
Exchange, in which he promised that a Conservative government would
put an end to “the over the top health and safety culture.”
As the story was still developing, Communications Director Ruth
Doyle spoke to The Times about the widespread misunderstanding that
leads to crazy health and safety myths being reported. She
said:
“David Cameron is retelling some of the myths
in order to highlight the issue. The politicians should query them
if we are to tackle the issue.”
Later on Ruth was on LBC radio arguing the need for a “society
that is better educated about risk and becomes risk intelligent.”
Ruth pointed out that we all share a responsibility for changing
the way society views risk, saying:
“The thing I think we all need to do, and
this is politicians, the media, the general public, is the next
time somebody says to you “Oh you can’t, its health and safety”,
challenge them and say why not? What health and safety? Because the
law is not stopping you from doing these things, its people’s
understanding and application of it that’s the problem. And we
should all be challenging those stories.”
Chief Executive Rob Strange spoke to BBC Radio Leicester and
appeared on BBC News 24, welcoming the debate that Mr Cameron’s
speech had started. He said:
“He’s certainly right in saying that the
legislation for health and safety is part of a noble tradition.
He’s also right in saying that compensation culture and fear of
litigation has been responsible for hijacking the more serious
agenda of occupational safety and health.”
IOSH president John Holden spoke to BBC Radio 5 Live Drive show
yesterday evening. He said:
“There are so many of these stories, and
really so many of them are nonsense and what they actually do is
deflect away from the real and serious health and safety
issues.”
John then appeared on BBC1’s Newsnight
programme, via a link up from the BBC Manchester studios. John was
joined in the discussion by Professor Frank Furedi from the
University of Kent, and Newsnight host Jeremy Paxman.
Read David Cameron’s speech in full at the Conservative
website
Read our press release
Read The Times article quoting IOSH