Protecting our professional reputation

It's that time in the publishing cycle where I start writing the news for the IIRSM Newsletter. I ran a Google search on recent health and safety stories and this is what it came up with:

Clock run stopped
A unique event to celebrate the 150th anniversary of Tredegar Town clock has been cancelled on health and safety grounds. To celebrate the milestone ...

Donkey derby falls foul of health and safety
This was after insurers backed away from the race due to the UK’s stringent health and safety legislation. Now the inflatable animals look set for another ...

Under-threat theatre cancels show
The Little Theatre in Rhyl has postponed its latest production by a month following a bitter row over health and safety with Denbighshire Council ...

"It is a huge contradiction that news reports simultaneously focus on serious and substantial safety issues (sometimes overstated or poorly researched) at the same time as repeatedly criticising safety people as over-zealous killjoys," Paul Hopkin, IIRSM Chairman, recently told HSW magazine.

And he couldn't be more right. As safety professionals, let's continue to promote sensible risk management and protect the reputation of health and safety. If we don't do it, who will?

Apologies for the lack of posts...

...but I've recently been sunning myself in Cuba. Oh, and Birmingham. On arrival back to the UK from a fabulous holiday in Cuba, I found myself on a train to the Midlands for this year's Expo - hence the lack of posts.

Speaking of the Expo, thanks to all those who took the time to visit our stand to say hello to the team - and for your feedback on the new website. It was great to meet so many of you!

Bad practice on construction sites

As you'll all probably know, the HSE has been out in force inspecting sites over the last few months. Inspectors have found that approximately one in three sites and one in four contractors inspected were found to be working below the acceptable standard.

The HSE has published good and bad practice pictures - it's ludicrous that so many sites are still operating so dangerously. Here are some of the very, very bad...

The modern take on RSI

Check out this picture published in the Metro this morning - definitely a modern-day version of RSI!

The human spider - just plain stupid?

Anyone see that Channel 4 documentary last Thursday about the French guy with a death wish?

A married father of three, Alain Robert's terrifying brand of "free climbing" - climbing without tools or safety devices of any kind - has taken him up some of the most daunting buildings in the world. He performs his dangerous work despite suffering from epilepsy.

His often illegal antics and his ability to scale just about any kind of building quickly earned him the nickname 'the human spider'.

His terrifying brand of "free climbing" - climbing without tools or safety devices of any kind - has taken him up some of the most daunting buildings in the world, including the Sears Tower, Canary Wharf and the Eiffel Tower. Robert has been arrested countless times and admitted defeat only once – in Paris after the weather conditions made it too hot for him to continue, leading to him having to be rescued. Robert has only ever had two accidents, both during training when harnessed.

What a nutter.

Definitely NOT an April fool

Pinch, punch, first day of the month...and it's April Fools Day to boot. But one statistic that quite clearly is not a joke is the recent IIRSM poll. A huge 44 per cent of IIRSM members who voted in last month's opinion poll do not think the new Corporate Manslaughter Act, due to come into force next week, will improve safety. What do you think? Let us know in our discussion forums at www.healthandsafetyprofessional.co.uk

Doesn't it frustrate you?

Sorry I've not posted for over a week, folks - I've been busy having fun. Yep - Easter weekend provided me with lots of fun things to do, so I was too busy to post. But fear not - I'm back now, back in the world of health and safety. And what a world it is.

I received an interesting email from my boss this morning (while I was sniffling on my hanky in bed, I hasten to add) asking if I was interested in a story. The story in question was regarding the House of Lords' decision on work-related suicides.

Now I am well aware it's not a nice subject, but let's face it - health and safety is full of workplace deaths, falls from height, crushes by machinery - we are all immune to it now. Or are we?

It's your job to ensure such things do not happen, and I am sure you are very good at doing so. Obviously the likes of such websites as www.healthandsafetyprofessional.co.uk helps you do your job more efficiently (nice plug, thanks) but doesn't it frustrate you to constantly read about companies that don't adhere to policies, the very policies we are all striving to embrace and promote? Tell me!

Dame Carol Black's 'occupational health service'

I spent this morning at the launch of the health review by Dame Carol Black, entitled Review of the health of Britain's working age population: working for a healthier tomorrow.

From where I was sitting, there doesn't seem to much to get excited about, although the research is interesting and proposals sensible, it will probably take the Government a good few years to sit on thos recommendations before actually doing anything about them.

Therefore, it's up to you health and safety professionals to continue doing what you're best at, keeping your workers healthy and safe.

How not to work on a roof!

IIRSM member Roger Rustom kindly sent me these images of workers on a roof adjacent to his offices.

Roger, sitting in his Safety Department offices, couldn't just watch these men blatantly risk their lives and do nothing. So he contacted the HSE, who told them that they could and should not do anything and that they would write to the people concerned.

Will a letter (by the time it gets to them) really make a difference to men who so blatantly put their lives at risk and employers who are obviously condoning their actions?

Roger also has the whole incident on film and will be using it to educate his employees and contractors.

If you would like to send me photos of safety blunders, email me.

Online forum

Last week we held our first roundtable teleconference. Selected IIRSM members were invited to call in and discuss various topics high on the health and safety agenda in order to generate some good old fashioned debate - and they didn't disappoint.

Topics covered included CDM - how have the revised Regs bedded down? and what impact the new Corporate Manslaughter Act may have on industry. Recent stories in the press provided food for thought, and the profile of our industry certainly generated a welcome discussion. To read the forum threads in full, click here.

A write-up of the forum is also included in the April edition of the IIRSM Newsletter.

For details of our next teleconference, email me. All HSW subscribers and IIRSM members are welcome.