The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) is calling on businesses to review their health and safety policies for the New Year.
The regulator, which will celebrate its 40th anniversary this year, is asking businesses to put a stop to a so-called ‘blame’ culture which it says is seeing businesses who provide customer service blaming anything and everything on health and safety rules which simply don’t exist.
Citing research conducted by the University of Exeter, the regulator revealed that half of all cases put to its Myth Busters Challenge Panel came from cafes, shops and leisure centres.
Mark Harper, Department for Work and Pensions Minister said: “The Health and Safety Executive has done fantastic work over the past 40 years to keep working people safe.
“Elf n safety’ myths get in the way of what the law is for – saving lives, not stopping people living them.”
Some of the cases being submitted by customers to the panel include being refused googles or floats at swimming pools and being forced to pay high delivery charges for a range of goods, which customers are later told that they cannot return should they have been unwrapped. ‘Health and safety’ is being cited as the reason for all of these things.
“No employer or worker should hide behind the health and safety excuses, if they act in a sensible way,” Mr Harper continued. “If you hear of a bogus health and safety myth, report it to our panel.”
Looking at the reasons why health and safety is being cited in so many absurd scenarios, the research found there were some perceptions of health and safety regulation that meant business owners feared being sued and so cited health and safety regulations in an effort to avoid this. Others were doing it to avoid additional costs to their business whilst some were simply not sufficiently trained.
Chair of the HSE’s Myth Busters Challenge Panel, Judith Hackitt, said: “HSE wants to encourage everyone, especially those working in leisure and retail, to make a resolution to stop using the health and safety catch-all excuse.
“Give the real reason for the decision you take. We want people to be honest – giving health and safety the blame is lazy and unhelpful.
“Customers are at the heart any business. Getting rid of over-the-top decisions blamed on health and safety will improve the service customers receive and enable the business to prosper.”
For a full copy of the report, visit the University of Exeter’s website here.