Health and safety in the media - Rob speaks out

15 March 2010

Writing in a national newspaper, IOSH Chief Executive Rob Strange OBE has questioned the way the media portrays health and safety.

In a personal opinion article run in today’s media section of the Independent, Rob claims how a media formula of ‘exaggeration, half-truth, generalisation and myth making has created a great British joke, the one about ‘elf n safety gone mad.’

Citing David Cameron’s speech, last December, in which he announced his party’s review of health and safety, Rob goes on to suggest that things have taken a more worrying turn as we approach an election, with health and safety being used as a political punch bag. He also deals with the Sunday Telegraph’s mis-reporting of the IOSH position on gritting snow and ice in public areas, in January.

The article warns of the danger of trivial and negative media coverage leading people to turn their backs on health and safety. Rob also calls for a much greater media focus on the ‘real’ health and safety issues.