Health and safety gone mad

Pic from Smallbusiness.co.uk

It is often said that the rules and regulations around health and safety are ‘gone mad’ and that we are a nanny state. I disagree – although sometimes things may seem a bit ridiculous, have you stopped to look at the bigger picture? I did a bit of research:

The Health and Safety at Work Act came into force in 1974 (when I was too young to work more than a paper round). This was the result of the Robens Report, which was very concerned with the state of workers’ safety, particularly in the coal industry. Quite a bit has changed since the legislation has come into force, especially with regards to deaths and injuries:

                             Deaths               Reported injuries

1974                    650                      330,000
2019                    111                      75,000

These figures to me speak not just of the decline in coal mining (and related deaths and diseases), but that health and safety procedures have had a real impact. In other words, this legislation, along with an increased sense of responsibility by individuals, has saved lives.

So though some of the rules and regulations may be annoying, and filling out the accident book may be an inconvenience, overall we should not think it’s health and safety gone mad, but be thankful for the protection that is extended to us via this old, but wonderful, piece of legislation (who’d have thought I’d ever have something to thank Barbara Castle for!).

More info:

• Health and Safety Executive Timeline
• Health and Safety at Work Act (explained)
• Small businesses not taking Health and Safety Seriously

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