Political correctness has long been a target of media scorn, but health and safety appears to be heading the same way. David Cameron has recently waded into the debate. As reported in The Guardian, he argued:
“We’ve got to stop treating…adults like children.”
While there may be examples of individuals using health and safety to avoid doing things, the need to prevent an accident at work will never disappear. While there are absurd examples of health and safety ‘gone mad’ which delight journalists, the need to stop a potential work accident remains an imperative. Many workers are employed in potentially dangerous industrial sectors like construction. If healthy and safety is not respected, more of them will suffer from personal injury.
Health and safety legislation is vital to protect employees. Some risk assessments may seem unnecessary. Some people may even interpret health and safety poorly. However, the central importance of health and safety can’t be discredited. David Cameron knows this very well and perhaps he was engaged in a harmless bit of populist politics. The slight danger is that some people could misinterpret elements of his speech in Manchester and allow workers to ignore simple precautions that save lives.
Companies that expose employees to unnecessary risks and ignore health and safety regulations are making a false economy. Neglect of health and safety considerations can lead to personal injury compensation claims. It is in the interest of everybody that health and safety is treated with seriousness. Health and safety must be interpreted in a balanced way which keeps workplaces safe without obstructing work.
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