Martin O'Halloran: We need a healthier attitude to safety risk

HAVE you heard the one about children not being allowed to run in the playground? Or bicycles being banned from a ferry to the Aran Islands? Farmers not being allowed to help grit local roads during frosty weather? Family tickets for sporting events being limited to two children with one adult? The list goes on. On the face of it these are completely unconnected matters, but there is a common thread; attempts have been made to blame health and safety for curtailing them in some way.

The term health and safety has become so pervasive in its association with prohibiting certain activities that its no wonder people think some of us are out to prevent anyone being exposed to any sort of risk. Life is full of risks and people face different risks every day. However, judging by the approach taken by some individuals and organisations that we come across, its a wonder any of them can build up the courage to leave the house in the morning.

Health and safety legislation was introduced in this country to help address the high number of workplace accidents which over the years have resulted in the deaths of hundreds of workers as well as many thousands of very serious injuries. It has nothing to do with the above examples.

Lets be sensible. Effective workplace safety and health management is an important aspect of any managers activities. It will help prevent accidents and injuries to employees as well as being a real contributor to business success. The proactive management of the safety and health of workers or anyone who might be affected by work activity isnt a joke.

The task of raising awareness of the real and genuine dangers that workers can be exposed to isnt made any easier when one hears of the overzealous individuals who, in an attempt to make their own lives easier, end up making the lives of the professionals working in this area all the more difficult.

As we see it, health and safety is bandied about as an excuse for all sorts of unpopular decisions. It can be very convenient to put a difficult decision down to some vague health and safety issue rather than outline the real motivation. There may well be valid reasons to make unpopular decisions, eg commercial pressures, fears over legal action, insurance requirements and so on, but more often than not they have nothing to do with genuine health and safety concerns.

The examples highlighted above might seem funny if this wasnt so serious. Last year 54 people lost their lives in workplace accidents and 230 people have been killed since 2008. So far this year 29 people have been killed in work-related accidents. Apart from these tragic deaths, thousands of people have been injured, many very seriously.

On top of this terrible human toll, its been estimated that workplace accidents are costing the State up to euro;3.5bn annually. Thats a substantial sum of money during any economic period, but in the current environment its completely unsustainable. Small businesses in particular know the financial impact if an employee suffers a bad workplace accident ? compensation payments, increased insurance premiums, disrupted production and damage to business reputation all add up and can have a drastic effect on the bottom line.

The position of the Health and Safety Authority is clear ? health and safety is not a genuine reason to avoid doing something. Where there are valid risks associated with a workplace activity these risks should be assessed and managed so that the activity can be carried out in a safe way. Very rarely is the solution to simply not do it.

We live in an era where many people have concerns over the development of an overly protective nanny state culture. We understand these concerns and we certainly have no desire to add to them.

Our view is that common sense should prevail. Proper health and safety management has nothing to do with trying to prevent every single possible risk from peoples lives. The next time youre told you cant do something because of health and safety, challenge it. Its about time this all too common excuse was treated with the suspicion it deserves.

Instead of health and safety continuing to be the usual punch line to the joke of the day, maybe soon well be hearing the one about the local small shop or factory that saved thousands of euro by sensibly managing its workplace safety and health. Theres nothing funny about that for the struggling small business owner.

Martin OHalloran is chief executive of the Health and Safety Authority

Irish Independent

Source: http://www.upgradingonlineconference.com/martin-ohalloran-we-need-a-healthier-attitude-to-safety-risk/

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