The Safety Paradox
Arriving at a CPD event the other day I observed two people haranguing one of the event staff about safety. Their complaints were that H&S got in the way of their work, that H&S was pointless, and cost them money.; they were builders on their way to work.
This led me to think that there is a paradox about safety; contradiction where the intent does not produce the desired outcome, where the safer you feel the less safe you are because you feel safe you will take greater risks.
I understand why we ‘do’ H&S however we do seem to be bombarded by journalists during anti-H&S stories for various news and other sites. And some social media outlets, when one searches for H&S content, you will find an endless series of posts mocking H&S mostly by people who would seem to benefit most from good standards. Sonae
On Tue 7 Dec 2010, it was reported that two workers - Thomas Elmer, 27, and James Bibby, 25 - were tragically killed at a chipboard factory Sonae in Merseyside.
At PMQs the following day, Conservative MP Michael Ellis (Northampton North) asked them Prime Minister David Cameron:
Is my right hon. Friend the Prime Minister as concerned as I am about absurd health and safety legislation, which has reached such dizzy heights in this country that the chief executive of Sainsbury’s told me last week that Christmas crackers are now category 1 fireworks, and cannot be sold to anyone under the age of 16 without the risk of a six-month sentence of imprisonment? Will he put a firework up the health and safety legislation?
In response, the PM answered:
That would give me enormous pleasure, and I look forward to doing so.
Nine questions later Labour MP for Knowsley, George Howarth, asked the Prime Minister:
In a tragic incident yesterday at the Sonae factory in my constituency, two people working at the plant were killed. I am sure the Prime Minister will join me in expressing deepest condolences to the families of those who were killed, and does he agree that when the Health and Safety Executive and police investigations into what happened have been completed, whatever action is necessary will be taken?
Cameron answered:
I certainly join the right hon. Gentleman in what he says about his constituents and the dreadful accident that took place. It is important that we have procedures in place for the HSE and others to investigate these issues and, as he says, they should follow the evidence wherever it leads.
So, here we have the Safety Paradox in full view on our Parliament. To many people and organisation the term Health and Safety is seemingly an absurd concept that gets in the way of our lives yet after investigation the concept behind H&S is well founded and true.
As further background to the tragic deaths of Thomas and James, Sonae in 2010 had a poor track record on HSE interventions, and another worker - James Dennis Kay (known to friends as Dennis) - sadly died after being crushed whilst working on a cherry picker at the same Merseyside Sonae factory on 6 Aug 2011. On this occasion the HSE found ‘no fault’ on the part of Sonae. Dennis was there as a contractor removing damaged steel beams from the roof of one of the Sonae buildings, following a fire on 9 Jun 2011.
References:
Hansard - https://hansard.parliament.uk/commons/2010-12-08/debates/10120866000035/Engagements
HSE Prosecution of Sonae - https://resources.hse.gov.uk/convictions-history/case/case_details.asp?SF=CN&SV=4365867
News article on prosecution - https://wilkinssafety.co.uk/2015/12/hse-inspectors-most-horrific-case/