Health and safety bodies welcome government review
13:28 - 25/05/2010
Health and safety bodies welcome gove...
First Response Training, the third largest health and safety training provider in the UK, has joined the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) and Institute of Occupational Safety and Health (IOSH) in welcoming government plans for a review into health and safety law.
The Prime Minister has appointed Lord Young of Graffham to conduct a full report into health and safety legislation and what he describes as a growing risk aversion and ‘compensation culture’. He has called for ‘a sensible new approach’ that makes the law clear and helps avoid misunderstandings, and is expected to receive a full report from Lord Young later in the summer.
This focus on the lack of understanding that surrounds health and safety law is fully supported by First Response Training, who believe that it is incorrect interpretation of the law, rather than the regulations themselves, that can cause problems.
Perry Leeks, Operations Director at First Response, explains: “We encourage any review which will make health and safety law easier for our delegates to interpret. However most of the well publicised barmy examples in the media which perpetuate the ‘health and safety gone mad’ image are usually due to poorly trained staff applying the rules incorrectly.
“At First Response Training we have a team of expert trainers who deliver health and safety training in a way that is interactive, relevant and interesting. From a 3 hour awareness course to our 4 day IOSH Managing Safely, we have a suite of training programmes that can help those who are responsible for health and safety in their settings understand what they need to do.”
The provider’s stance mirrors the viewpoints of leading health and safety organisations HSE and IOSH, who are both hoping the review will help to put an end to the negative perception of health and safety legislation and serve to highlight its importance.
Richard Jones, IOSH’s Policy and Technical Director, says: “We welcome any debate that helps to dispel the negative myth that health and safety is all about banning things. The health and safety profession is in the business of protecting people from serious harm, not about trivia or burdening businesses with bureaucratic red tape.”
The HSE have long championed a balanced approach to health and safety issues and advise appropriate risk management, rather than risk aversion. HSE Chair Judith Hackitt commented that the “HSE have been saying for some time that health and safety is being used by too many as a convenient excuse to hide behind” and asserted that they too welcomed the review and would assist in any way that they can.
The bottom line is that health and safety legislation is there for a reason. Operations Director Perry Leeks concludes by saying: “At First Response we believe the law is there to protect people. We want to create safe working environments, not create more work for people to do. When properly understood, health and safety law does just that.”
For further information, please call us today.
The Prime Minister has appointed Lord Young of Graffham to conduct a full report into health and safety legislation and what he describes as a growing risk aversion and ‘compensation culture’. He has called for ‘a sensible new approach’ that makes the law clear and helps avoid misunderstandings, and is expected to receive a full report from Lord Young later in the summer.
This focus on the lack of understanding that surrounds health and safety law is fully supported by First Response Training, who believe that it is incorrect interpretation of the law, rather than the regulations themselves, that can cause problems.
Perry Leeks, Operations Director at First Response, explains: “We encourage any review which will make health and safety law easier for our delegates to interpret. However most of the well publicised barmy examples in the media which perpetuate the ‘health and safety gone mad’ image are usually due to poorly trained staff applying the rules incorrectly.
“At First Response Training we have a team of expert trainers who deliver health and safety training in a way that is interactive, relevant and interesting. From a 3 hour awareness course to our 4 day IOSH Managing Safely, we have a suite of training programmes that can help those who are responsible for health and safety in their settings understand what they need to do.”
The provider’s stance mirrors the viewpoints of leading health and safety organisations HSE and IOSH, who are both hoping the review will help to put an end to the negative perception of health and safety legislation and serve to highlight its importance.
Richard Jones, IOSH’s Policy and Technical Director, says: “We welcome any debate that helps to dispel the negative myth that health and safety is all about banning things. The health and safety profession is in the business of protecting people from serious harm, not about trivia or burdening businesses with bureaucratic red tape.”
The HSE have long championed a balanced approach to health and safety issues and advise appropriate risk management, rather than risk aversion. HSE Chair Judith Hackitt commented that the “HSE have been saying for some time that health and safety is being used by too many as a convenient excuse to hide behind” and asserted that they too welcomed the review and would assist in any way that they can.
The bottom line is that health and safety legislation is there for a reason. Operations Director Perry Leeks concludes by saying: “At First Response we believe the law is there to protect people. We want to create safe working environments, not create more work for people to do. When properly understood, health and safety law does just that.”
For further information, please call us today.
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