It's fashionable in the UK to knock Health and Safety as a symptom of bureaucratic creep or political correctness. As the leader of a manufacturing business I'd like to make a small plea in favour of health and safety as something that, well, isn't a bad idea really. I have seen the emphasis on increased health and safety consciousness raise survival rates in my industry. I have seen wilful ignoring of H&S by individuals nearly kill several people in a workplace I was responsible for (thankfully only nearly), and known deaths occur at plants I knew well. Most people I would guess have heard of a serious industrial accident or fatality amongst their friends, family, acquaintances or workmates. The decline in manufacturing as it migrates towards the sunrise has reduced, and will continue to reduce the hazards to the UK workforce, but let's not forget generations of our ancestors for whom risking their life for a pittance was the daily grind. And let's not forget the poor saps who make our £10 jeans in the Far East for tuppence a day who aren't protected by unions, legislation or free media.
I do draw the line at chopping down healthy conker trees and other such absurdities, but the problem isn't Health and Safety. The problem is bored journalists looking for non-stories, job creation in the public sector to massage unemployment figures and the fact that the political system is designed to attract megalomaniacs and village idiots.
Michael Alec Bryant
6th June 2007
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