Myth busting safely

CHILDREN can't play conkers, hanging baskets are dangerous and it's unsafe for office workers to hang up christmas decorations.

These are just three of a number of health and safety myths that a national campaign by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) is aiming to dispel.

And Warrington is leading the way in the region by signing up to the 'Sign up to Sensible Risk' campaign and is promoting its pledge to the 10 key principles:

Sensible risk management is about:
• ensuring that workers and the public are properly protected
• providing overall benefit to society by balancing benefits and risks, with a focus on reducing real risks
• enabling innovation and learning, not stifling them
• ensuring that those who create risks manage them responsibly and understand that failure to manage real risks responsibly is likely to lead to robust action
• enabling individuals to understand that as well as the right to protection, they also have to exercise responsibility

Sensible risk management is not about:
• creating a totally risk free society
• generating useless paperwork mountains
• scaring people by exaggerating or publicising trivial risks
• stopping important recreational and learning activities for individuals where the risks are managed
• reducing protection of people from risks that cause real harm and suffering

Yvonne Bottomley, strategic director for corporate services, says: “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 said: “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.”
Ends

Editor’s notes:

Picture: HSE north west regional director David Ashton, Phil Chadwick, education & promotion officer and Yvonne Bottomley, strategic director for corporate services

Public enquiries: Call HSE's InfoLine, Tel: 0845 3450 055.
HSE information and press releases can be accessed on the website at www.hse.gov.uk

Issued by:  Gina Coldrick, Press Officer
Date:   Monday 12 April 2008
Release: Immediate