Is the ‘safety and risk’ tide turning?
The HSE wants less emphasis on paperwork and more on real risks and says that unnecessary concerns over paperwork and the fear of being sued are being used to cancel school trips and outings. Instead it is urging people to focus on risks that cause harm and suffering. The HSC is concerned that too much concern over paperwork and bureaucracy will stifle learning and innovation. A set of guidelines on sensible risk management have been released to coincide with the campaign. IOL Director, Karen Brush, being interviewed for the BBC Website said "Since well before the year 2000 we've been campaigning for a much less risk-obsessed society.....At the moment I think there's been a bit of a gap between accepting risk and understanding risk". For the full interview see: http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/5273870.stm Being able to take some small risk has got to be the way forward. It's about understanding the level of risk. We do it in everyday life.
For more in-depth report see: http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/5273292.stm And the HSE website at |