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Sensible risk management

Health and Safety Executive. Sensible risk management. Presentation to London Health and Safety Group – 18 th September 2006. Steve Pointer HSE Strategy Division. Get a life!. Get a life!.

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Sensible risk management

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  1. Health and Safety Executive Sensible risk management Presentation to London Health and Safety Group – 18th September 2006 Steve Pointer HSE Strategy Division

  2. Get a life!

  3. Get a life! “My clear message is that if you are using health and safety to stop everyday activities – get a life and let others get on with theirs. But equally, if you think health and safety is a joke and that you can just ignore real risks, then try telling that to the families of the 212 workers who never went home at all last year.”

  4. What they say… “Who will protect us from the health and safety set?” “…with their mantra ‘there’s no such thing as an accident’…” “Health and safety killjoys!” “…cancer of a civilised society…” “Please stop nannying us!” “Hypersafe is the one true faith.” “The Health and Safety Executive is truly Satan’s agent.”

  5. What happens: • 212 fatalities at work • 363,000 reportable injuries • 2.0 million suffering ill health • 35 million working days lost • 3,500+ dead from asbestos exposure

  6. 3 main types of stories: Myths and blatant untruths

  7. 3 main types of stories: Genuinely risk-averse behaviour

  8. 3 main types of stories: Health and safety as a convenient excuse

  9. Principles of sensible risk management

  10. Sensible risk management IS about: Ensuring that workers and the public are properly protected

  11. Sensible risk management IS about: Providing overall benefit to society by balancing risks and benefits, with a focus on reducing real risks – both those which arise more often and those with serious consequences

  12. Sensible risk management IS about: Enabling innovation and learning, not stifling them

  13. Sensible risk management IS about: Ensuring those who create risks manage them responsibly and understand that failure to manage real risks responsibly is likley to lead to robust action.

  14. Sensible risk management IS about: Enabling individuals to understand that as well as the right to protection they also have to exercise responsibility.

  15. Sensible risk management IS NOT about: Creating a totally risk free society

  16. Sensible risk management IS NOT about: Generating useless paperwork mountains

  17. Sensible risk management IS NOT about: Scaring people by exaggerating or publicising trivial risks.

  18. Sensible risk management IS NOT about: Stopping important recreational and learning activities for individuals where the risks are managed.

  19. Sensible risk management IS NOT about: Reducing protection of people from risks that cause real harm and suffering.

  20. Fine words…… but what do they mean in practice?

  21. Tolerability of risk Risk Unacceptable region Tolerable region Broadly acceptable region

  22. Actions… Risk assessment is really just good planning. Keep it fit for purpose, and act on it.

  23. Fit for purpose risk assessment Quantitative Numeric Good practice comparison

  24. 5 Steps to risk assessment • Identify the hazards • Decide who might be harmed and how • Evaluate the risks and decide on precautions • Record your findings and act upon them • 5. Review your assessment and update if necessary

  25. 5 Steps to risk assessment Why good practice comparison and not numeric?

  26. 5 Steps to risk assessment • Why example risk assessments? • Aren’t they an invitation to “cheat”?

  27. Actions… IOSH Risk management – reality checklist

  28. IOSH Risk management – reality checklist Get TogetherMake sure that everyone is involved from the start. Bosses and workers need to be part of risk management, otherwise it just doesn’t work.

  29. IOSH Risk management – reality checklist 2. Be awareEveryone should understand what they are responsible for and what their rights are.

  30. IOSH Risk management – reality checklist Think about the real worldYou can’t get rid of all risk entirely, so don’t try. Solutions should be sensible, cost-effective, proportionate and based on good practice. And they shouldn’t bring miles of red tape.

  31. IOSH Risk management – reality checklist Take a positive approachGood health and safety advice helps achieve results, and doesn’t have to stop people from doing things. It helps us all do what we want without hurting anyone. WE want to save life… not stop it!

  32. Sensible risk principles • What do you think of the principles?

  33. Sensible risk principles • What do you think of the principles? • What more do you want HSE to do?

  34. Sensible risk principles • What do you think of the principles? • What more do you want HSE to do? • What more do you want others to do?

  35. Sensible risk principles • What do you think of the principles? • What more do you want HSE to do? • What more do you want others to do? • What are you going to do?

  36. www.hse.gov.uk/risk

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