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News Release from: HSE Health and Safety Executive | Subject: Vic Coleman's presentation
Edited by the Engineeringtalk Editorial
Team on 19 May 2005
Sensible risk management explained
Vic Coleman, the HSE's head of planning, efficiency and finance, spoke at the RoSPA Safety and Health at Work congress to enhance the message of sensible risk management.
The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) has taken the opportunity at the Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents (RoSPA) Safety and Health at Work congress to enhance the message of sensible risk management in the health and safety debate The HSE views sensible risk management as key to securing compliance with health and safety regulations and also vital to removing many of the myths surrounding the health and safety debate
This article was originally published on Engineeringtalk on 1 Jul 2004 at 8.00am (UK)
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Promoting a sensible approach to health and safety is one of the main planks in the Health and Safety Commission's (HSC) strategy to 2010 and beyond.
Vic Coleman, the HSE's head of planning, efficiency and finance, in his speech at the congress, covered major topics in the risk debate, including: the trivial issues that are used to undermine the risk debate, the trade-offs that need to be made to ensure health and safety does not become a burden, and how seeking to eliminate all risks is neither practical nor desirable.
He commented: "HSC wishes to champion and promote its position (ie the middle ground), making the case for sensible risk control measures that are sensibly applied.
"Risk assessments should not be viewed as a burden; they enable a company to identify where the risk is highest and can identify control measures that are in proportion to the risk".
The Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents Safety and Health at Work Congress was held from 17 - 19 May 2005 at the NEC Birmingham Hilton Metropole.
A copy of Vic Colemans presentation is available on HSE's website, as is a great deal of useful information on the subject.
Look for the 'Sensible health and safety' message on the HSE's web page, or type 'sensible' into the search box to find the HSE's new 'Sensible health and safety' section on the website.
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