MYTHS about children being banned from playing conkers could be undermining efforts to ensure companies in the North-East take health and safety issues seriously.
Research has shown that more than a third of the region’s employees wrongly believed that the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) bans wearing flip flops at work or children playing with conkers.
But the survey, which was unveiled as the HSE launched its “Be part of the solution”
strategy, to cut the number of deaths and injuries in the workplace, also revealed that more than two-thirds of workers in the North-East know someone who has been injured at work or has become ill because of their job, more than any other region.
The HSE is concerned that the mythical stories about it banning everyday activities is leading to some companies and individuals not taking health and safety seriously.
Pam Waldron, HSE head of operations for the North-East, said: “People make fun of health and safety and don’t consider it important, we need to get back on track. The HSE is so concerned about some of the ridiculous stories that we are putting a ‘myth of the month’ on our website.
“What we want is for people to go to work and come home uninjured.”
She believed that part of the problem was companies believing health and safety legislation was more complicated than it actually was.
Ms Waldron said: “People get bogged down in the terminology like risk assessment, but all that means is do you know what can harm people in your workplace, you identify that and do something about it.”
Ms Waldron didn’t believe that companies would cutback on health and safety during the recession, but said there was a danger firms may take their eye off the ball.
She said: “It might go to the back of the mind because there are so many other things to think about.”
But Ms Waldron believed that good businesses should plan for health and safety as an integral part of their everyday activity, not as an after thought.
Recent figures show there were seven workplace deaths, 1,296 major injuries and 4,974 injuries requiring at least three days off work in the North-East in one year. In Yorkshire, the figure was 16 deaths and 2,894 major injuries.
For details about the strategy, go to hse.gov.uk/strategy
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