Dispelling the myths of health and safety

WARRINGTON is leading the way in a campaign designed to dispel some of the common myths about health and safety.
The “Sign up to Sensible Risk” campaign is looking to nonsense common misconceptions such as children can’t play conkers, hanging baskets are dangerous and it’s unsafe for office workers to hang Christmas decorations.
The Health and Safety Executive campaign draws on 10 points for sensible risk management, which include ensuring that workers and the public are properly protected, enabling innovation and learning, not stifling them, and, not scaring people by exaggerating or publicising trivial risks.
Warrington Borough Council’s strategic director for corporate services Yvonne Bottomley said: “Protecting the health and safety of our workers and the community we represent has always been a crucial issue for us. Over time, the stories of health and safety gone mad has undermined the good work we and other councils do to protect vulnerable members of society.
“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.”
HSE North West Regional Director David Ashton, added: “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 want Warrington Borough Council wants, and not what the law requires.
“We both 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.
“I am inviting all the North West’s local authorities to follow Warrington’s example and join with us in tackling the 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 and preventing injuries and ill health.”