Mintball wrote:
I'm not sure I know what's worse: the government attitude (although even they have admitted that there is nothing wrong with H&S legislation – only how some people interpret it) – or the behaviour, over years, of substantial elements of the media that have promoted a myth that 'elf 'n' safety' is killing us (so to speak), with many of the public genuinely believing it.
It stands to reason that avoiding accidents happening in the first place is going to save time and money.
I couldn't agree more.
One of the low risk categories being removed is pubs. Does hygiene come under health and safety or is that a different department? Apart from the fact pub kitchens will become more dangerous for the employees I can't say the idea of kitchens being outside the scope of H&S fills me with confidence as to them keeping up hygene standards either.
I heard aobut this on BBC R2 news on the way home. They had a bloke form the Institute of Directors on, that well known right wing organisation and the business reporter was just basically feeding him lines so he could say what a jolly good idea this was. BBC propaganda machine in full force.
His main argument was twofold. First of all even without H&S legislation that doesn't mean these workplaces will become dangerous places; people are inherently careful. Secondly and echoing what you say above he painted H&S as an onerous regime with inconsistent inspectors who often over-inspected making several trips giving different results each time.
It seem blindingly obvious to me that his first point will be debunked within a matter of months if not sooner after this is scrapped and if the problem is his second point then fix
that problem without scrapping the H&S inspections.
It also seems obvious that if you comply with H&S guidelines then an inspection should be a rubber stamp job not something that always leads to increased costs. If there some little Hilter H&S inspectors out there who make this not the case then sort
them out don't scrap the H&S guidlines.
He also cited an example where an inspector found a vacuum cleaner just lying around so told the business to build a cupboard for it. He cited this as the kind of OTT recommendations H&S indulge in. Sorry but if someone had fallen over the thing and broken a bone oir worse that business would have bee sued.
At the end of the day its jut another bit of idiotic legislation like removing the planning guidlines that isn't going to make the slightest bit of difference to the economy. Yet another excuse of so-called economic benefits being used to justify ideologically based legislation.
