HSE-E80 14th July 2008

Sensible health and safety during the summer holidays

Huntingdonshire District Council has signed up with the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) to promote a sensible approach to health and safety during the summer holidays.

Chief Executive of Huntingdonshire District Council, David Monks, joined HSE Principal Inspector Paul Carter to publicly sign up to ‘ten principles of sensible risk management’ which gives organisations practical advice on what risk management should – and should not - be about.

The initiative was launched at Hinchingbrooke Country Park in Huntingdon, where they were joined by young volunteers for a ride in the park’s bell boats. The park is managed by the council and covers over 170 acres of open grasslands, meadows, woodlands and lakes.

Paul Carter said; "We’ve all heard the stories about health and safety banning hanging baskets or making children wear goggles to play conkers. This is not what we are about – it is not what HSE wants, not want the district council wants, and not what the law requires.

"We both want to focus our attention on practical steps that protect people from real risks that can lead to injury and death; we do not want to stop people from living their lives.

"I am inviting all the local authorities in the Eastern Regions to follow Huntingdonshire District Council’s example and join with us in tackling the issue by publicly signing up to ‘sensible risk’. Together we can embed these principles into our working culture and ensure the decisions we make focus on the real task of saving lives and preventing injuries and ill health.”

Paul continued: "The country park promotes sensible risk by operating a range of leisure activities for young people during the summer holidays and also hosting school trips.”

David Monks Chief Executive at the District Council said; "Protecting the health and safety of our workers and of the employees in the 2,500 businesses for which we are the regulatory authority within the community we represent has always been a crucial issue for us. Sensible regulation promotes efficient and productive business, helps protect our community and promotes health and well being. Exaggerated stories of health and safety risk undermine the good work we and other councils do to protect vulnerable members of society.

"We are proud to sign up to protecting our workers and community through sensible health and safety policies and commit to focusing on saving lives.”

Further information can be found at http://www.hse.gov.uk/risk/index.htm

Notes to editors

Principles of sensible risk management

Sensible risk management is about:

• Ensuring workers and the public are properly protected;
• Providing overall benefit to society by balancing benefits and risks, with a focus on reducing real risks – both those which arise more often and those with serious consequences;
• Enabling innovation and learning, not stifling them;
• Ensuring that those who create risks manage them responsibly and understand that failure to manage real risks responsibly is likely to lead to robust action;
• Enabling individuals to understand that as well as the right to protection, they also have to exercise responsibility.

Sensible risk management is not about:

• Creating a totally risk free society;
• Generating useless paperwork mountains;
• Scaring people by exaggerating or publicising trivial risks;
• Stopping important recreational and learning activities for individuals where the risks are managed;
• Reducing protection of people from risks that cause real harm and suffering.

Issued on behalf of the Health and Safety Executive by COI, for further details please contact John Stevenson on 01223 372790.