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Do you know why ‘flat’ button batteries are dangerous?
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“He swallowed the 'flat' battery
when it was being replaced with a new one. We removed it within 3-4
hours but he had a nasty burn of his oesophagus.”
- Consultant gastroenterologist We could be forgiven for thinking that, when a product no longer works, the lithium coin cell battery that was powering it is flat and no longer poses a risk to children. But, as we have discovered, that’s not the case at all. The dead or ‘flat’ battery you’ve just thrown into the recycling pot in the kitchen drawer can still do significant damage if a child swallows it and it gets stuck in their food pipe. Many accidents happen without an adult knowing and with a child too young to tell them. In some cases, batteries haven’t been detected for weeks. A scary prospect. Happily, the solution is very simple as long as families know there is a danger.
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Stewart Gosling of RDD, UK importers for Mitsubishi Forklift Trucks, believes the way in which businesses return to work could be pivotal — with visionaries seizing the opportunity to review their entire operation: the loads they move, the methods and equipment they use, and the number, safety and effectiveness of the staff on site. In short, is everything still fit for purpose?It’s no surprise that the return to work has been slower and more tentative than many predicted. Most employers are acutely aware of their responsibilities, and staff are understandably concerned about their welfare… and job security.To help you figure that out, RDD has created a resource centre containing free, practical guides, how-to videos, posters, checklists and case studies showing ways that companies have cut costs or solved intractable problems.Stewart says: “For me, the most interesting and valuable of these is a purpose-built Back To Work Health Check, which we’ve made available as a PDF or an interactive online questionnaire. Deceptively simple yet comprehensive, it allows a busy manager to review their storage and handling operations for both the short and longer term.”For convenience, and because functions may be divided among a number of colleagues, the survey is split into three areas:Site – puts the focus on what may have changed in recent times and what could affect future activities.Equipment – explores whether handling equipment meets HSE guidelines (and forthcoming changes in legislation), the adequacy and safety of storage, as well as potential health issues from emissions.People – covers everything from training regimes and pedestrian segregation, to materials handling procedures and social distancing measures.Top tips for improving materials handling safety and efficiency on site
Use that human touch
“We are aware that this is a time for listening and working with the wider community to help people find the best possible outcomes,” emphasises Stewart Gosling. “By talking to someone who’s done it all before, users of materials handling equipment can familiarise themselves with the latest techniques and technologies — many of which may been introduced since the customer was last in the market.“That’s why we are making available, without any obligation, the services of our national network of site survey specialists. They can help a manager review and examine ways to adapt and improve operations — often at low or no cost.“It was their idea to create the Back to Work Health Check. They appreciate more than anyone the importance of the most appropriate site configuration as well as the correct number and types of trucks for each specific application.“It’s important to remember that equipment is extremely cheap when compared to the cost of an operator — so it pays to make sure they have the tools to get the job done… along with the appropriate skill-set and training.”Future-proof your decisionsIn a world that has seen so much change in such a short space of time, Stewart Gosling urges businesses to do everything possible to future-proof their decisions.“In terms of motive power, for example, the HSE is increasingly critical of the use of IC engine trucks in confined spaces. Where LP gas or diesel can’t be avoided, the buyer should be aware that all new trucks will need to comply with Stage 5 emission standards.“Similarly, if you’re serious about employee welfare, you’ll want to make sure your next forklift comes equipped with measures to prevent the spread of airborne dust particles which are a real health hazard in indoor spaces.”Meet HSE guidelines for unexpected benefitsPart of the survey addresses the use of hand pallet trucks. If you are using them frequently or to move loads at their maximum capacity, you might well be in breach of HSE guidelines. Switching from a manual hand pallet truck to an electric one reduces the cumulative strain on operators and lowers the risk of absenteeism due to injury.Open your horizons“After all we’ve been through, there’s a natural tendency to focus solely on what we are forced to do in order to comply,” sums up Stewart Gosling. “My message to businesses is to take a moment and explore ways to go back better. What have you got to lose? Armed with this online survey and with the option of calling in someone to provide some specialist knowledge you can not only make your site COVID-secure, but financially robust and fully geared for the challenges — and opportunities — ahead.”
from: https://www.shponline.co.uk/uncategorized/is-your-materials-handling-equipment-still-fit-for-purpose... -
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Supported by the Employment and Skills for Development in Africa (E4D) Programme, Transaid has launched an urgent response to support heavy goods vehicle (HGV) drivers in Uganda, as Africa reacts to the growing COVID-19 pandemic.Transaid
is working with local partners to roll-out driver-specific COVID-19 safety advice and provide hand-washing facilities, cab sanitisation materials, and personal protective equipment (PPE) to keep drivers safe, reduce transmission rates and build community confidence in the safety of the logistics sector.Transaid CEO Caroline Barber told SHD Logistics Magazine that truck drivers were facing hostility as a result of the measures taken to prevent the spread of COVID-19. “Road transport is vital for delivering food, medicines and essential goods; but the race to control the outbreak in Africa means truck drivers are facing increased scrutiny whilst enduring evermore challenging and unpredictable hazards to keep supply chains running.“Truck drivers entering the country are perceived by some to be facilitating the spread of the virus, and have faced hostility from communities and long delays at borders, often with no access to sanitation facilities. Securing this funding means we can start work immediately to improve the preparedness of drivers to meet national guidelines on the use of PPE, cab sanitisation and social distancing.”“We are developing driver-specific factsheets as well as short information videos to be sent to drivers’ phones to raise awareness and reduce the risk of exposure. Road safety messaging has been integrated into these materials to warn how changing conditions – such as how fewer vehicles on the roads and reduced access to facilities en route could lead to increased speeds and fewer rest stops – may affect driving behaviours and the risk of road crashes, at a time when health systems are already overburdened.“Currently, the closure of businesses along transport corridors is making it difficult for drivers to access running water to wash their hands. To counter this, we are procuring soap and disinfectants for regular hand-washing and cab sanitisation, as well as locally made, washable and reusable face masks.”Transaid’s in-country partner Safe Way Right Way is also supporting transport associations at driver rest stops and border posts, to help keep drivers informed on the latest national guidelines. With official advice being updated regularly, it has been difficult for employers to communicate with drivers who may be on the road for days or weeks at a time without returning to base.E4D is a regional employment initiative funded by the German, Norwegian, and until recently the British government, and implemented by GIZ. Julia Mager, E4D Team Leader in Uganda at GIZ commented: “We’ve been working with Transaid and Safe Way Right Way for the last three years to build HGV driver training capacity in Uganda. Both organisations are well placed to deliver this critical work.”
from: https://www.shponline.co.uk/road-safety/transaid-project-launched-to-protect-hgv-drivers-from-covid-...
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Lambasts industry for fostering ‘don’t say no’ culture 30 years after his father’s death on-setRory Kinnear, whose father died on a set 32 years ago, has lambasted the industry for failing to improve health and safety practices and fostering a ‘don’t say no’ culture.The Years and Years star’s father Roy fell off a horse while filming in Spain for The Return of the Musketeers in 1988, a stunt he performed after trained stuntmen had refused.
Roy KinnearHis son used yesterday’s Steve Hewlett Memorial Lecture to criticise the slow progress made since, pointing to the death of cameraman Mark Milsome whilst filming in Ghana for BBC2/Netflix drama The Forgiving Earth [later called Black Earth Rising] in 2017.A supporter of the Mark Milsome Foundation, Kinnear contrasted the situation with the “seismic shift” the industry has made in sex and intimacy filming over the past two years, which has seen a rise in specialist intimacy co-ordinators and standardised guidelines such as those published by Directors UK last week.“More than 30 years after my dad died, people are still saying yes to doing scenes when they should be saying no,” he said. “I gain no pleasure from repeating my story on every set I’m on but it’s a burden I wear quite willingly if it will help young actors to say no.”Two key factors, according to Kinnear, are that many dramas are shot abroad and that the precarious nature of the industry sees extras scared to “make a fuss”, lest they be turned down for work in future.On the former, he said: “The safety legislation we have over here evaporates when you film abroad. As an actor I barely know the laws that are permissible in my own country let alone in South Africa or Lithuania.”‘Just say no’Kinnear stressed that “no shot is so important” that it needs to be completed if an actor is uncomfortable performing it.“Saying no to a director doesn’t limit their artistic capabilities or vision - it can be an enabler of a more rewarding vision,” he added. “The lasting impact of my dad dying hugely outweighs the lasting impact of not being able to film a scene.”Kinnear was joined by Hartswood Films boss Sue Vertue, who floated the use of a compulsory health and safety passport that production companies would have to sign up to.She hailed the work of Netflix and Sky in the space and praised the outfits’ anonymous hotlines, which cast members can ring if they feel unsafe on set.“We bust a gut making TV but you have to remind yourselves that it’s just TV. Nothing is worth the risk,” said Vertue.
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Bio-based packaging needs rigorous testing to avoid a new food safety threat | C... (thegrocer.co.uk)Rigorous testing for NIAS is necessary, says Andrew Swift, CEO of Fera Science -
Safety reason behind decision for Trawsfynydd nuclear reactors to come down earl... (dailypost.co.uk)Nuclear Decommissioning Authority report gives main reason for the new approach and also when site could be released -
One person says burning fuel can be smelled from "well over a mile away". -
Washington — Legislation recently introduced in the Senate would temporarily limit COVID-19 liability for employers who comply with public health guidelines and aren’t acting with “gross negligence.”Cornell University Law School defines “gross negligence” as “a lack of care that demonstrates reckless disregard for the safety or lives of others, which is so great it appears to be a conscious violation of other people’s rights to safety.” The school adds that “gross negligence” is more than a simple, inadvertent act.The Safeguarding America’s Frontline Employees To Offer Work Opportunities Required to Kickstart the Economy (SAFE TO WORK) Act (S. 4317), introduced July 27 by Sen. John Cornyn (R-TX) and co-sponsored by 19 other Republicans – including Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY), would provide liability protection to establishments that employ frontline workers such as teachers, doctors and nurses, among others. Additionally, the bill would limit liability from personal injury lawsuits brought against businesses, schools, colleges, nonprofit organizations or churches. These protections would be effective until Oct. 1, 2024.“These protections would apply to personal injury lawsuits stemming from actual exposure to coronavirus as well as feared or potential exposure,” Cornyn says in a July 27 press release. “This legislation would protect those acting in good faith from being sued into oblivion while ensuring bad actors who willingly put their patients, employees or customers in danger will still be held accountable.”
in a separate July 27 press release, the advocacy group American Association for Justice claims the bill would “give sweeping liability immunity to corporations” and “increase infection rates, make consumers and workers less safe, and prolong the pandemic because businesses will be allowed to act unreasonably knowing they are immune from accountability.”The association adds that the bill “doesn’t address one action that businesses and lawmakers from both parties have been calling for: enforceable, science-based workplace standards to help businesses protect their customers and workers.”At press time, the bill had been referred to the Senate Judiciary Committee.
from: https://www.safetyandhealthmagazine.com/articles/20229-senate-bill-aimed-at-limiting-employer-liabil... -
Salem, OR — Oregon OSHA is accepting public comment through Aug. 31 on a draft emergency temporary standard intended to protect workers from exposure to COVID-19.The proposed rule contains multiple provisions that would apply to all workplaces, with specific requirements for those that have “close-in” work activities (e.g., tattooing, massage and hair dressing) and health care activities that involve direct patient care. Among the provisions are physical distancing processes, the use of physical barriers and face coverings, and sanitation policies and procedures. Employers must design workplaces and job tasks so employees can maintain 6 feet of distance from others.For example, in office settings, face coverings would be required when workers aren’t at a desk or are seated in a conference room and when 6 feet of distance can’t be reliably maintained. For shared equipment and high-contact surfaces, employers would have to ensure necessary cleaning and disinfecting supplies are available and the items are sanitized before use by another worker and before each shift.Employers would be required to post Oregon OSHA’s “COVID-19 Hazards Poster” in the workplace, notify employees of physical distancing requirements and how they’ll be implemented, and provide opportunities for workers to offer feedback.For workplaces with 25 or more employees, at least one worker would have to be designated to assist the employer with identifying appropriate physical distancing, proper face covering use and sanitation measures, and then ensuring implementation of the procedures.“We look forward to more review and feedback as we seek to further bolster on-the-job protections for workers against this disease,” Oregon OSHA Administrator Michael Wood said in an Aug. 17 press release announcing the publication of the draft document. “This rule proposal reflects the need to provide both clearer and more stable guidance in the workplace than has been possible during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic.”The rule could take effect Sept. 14 at the latest and would remain in effect for 180 days.
Oregon OSHA – which operates under federal OSHA’s State Plan program – announced June 26 it would pursue drafting the temporary standard, which was developed in consultation with the Oregon Health Authority, various stakeholders and technical advisors. The agency is continuing to pursue permanent rulemaking that would provide a structure for addressing potential future disease outbreaks.Virtual public forums are planned to discuss the draft document. To comment on the draft, email tech.web@oregon.gov.
from: https://www.safetyandhealthmagazine.com/articles/20232-covid-19-pandemic-oregon-osha-seeks-input-on-... -
Washington — The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration has awarded about $80 million in federal grants to states and educational institutions in an effort to enhance roadway safety.In an Aug. 19 press release, Secretary of Transportation Elaine Chao says the awards “represent the highest funding level” for the grants, which will be allocated as follows:
High Priority grants: $45.1 million to strengthen states’ CMV safety efforts, as well as advance technological capabilities.
Commercial Driver’s License Program Implementation grants: $32.7 million to enhance efforts by states to improve the national CDL program.
Commercial Motor Vehicle Operator Safety Training grants: $2 million to 20 educational institutions to help train veterans for jobs as CMV operators.“This critical funding will support FMCSA’s state and local safety partners, and illustrates the Trump administration’s commitment to reducing crashes and improving safety on America’s roadways,” acting FMCSA administrator Jim Mullen said in the release. “These funds will go directly to where they are needed the most – our states, local communities and educational institutions.”
Mullen will be stepping down as administrator at the end of the month, the agency recently announced.
from: https://www.safetyandhealthmagazine.com/articles/20243-fmcsa-awards-nearly-80-million-in-grants -
COVID-19 pandemic: OSHA, CDC and FDA team up on guidance for seafood processing ... (safetyandhealthmagazine.com)Washington â OSHA, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and the Food and Drug Administration have released joint interim guidance intended to help seafood processing employers reduce COVID-19 exposure among workers, including those at onshore facilities and aboard offshore vessels. -
Washington — Facing a staffing shortage and an increased number of complaints related to the COVID-19 pandemic, OSHA must improve the efficiency of its Whistleblower Protection Program, an audit report from the Department of Labor Office of Inspector General concludes.The program enforces 23 statutes that prohibit employers from retaliating against workers who report employer violations of various workplace safety, consumer product, environmental, financial reform and securities laws.“When OSHA fails to respond in a timely manner, it could leave workers to suffer emotionally and financially, and may also lead to the erosion of key evidence and witnesses,” DOL OIG states in the Aug. 14 report.An audit conducted by OIG found whistleblower complaints increased 30% during the first four months of the pandemic compared with the same period last year. Meanwhile, the WPP’s number of full-time equivalent investigators dropped to 120 from 126 in 2019. As a result, some investigators have as many as 45 open cases – more than double the “optimal” maximum amount of 20, according to the report. OIG recommends OSHA fill these vacancies.The office also recommends the agency continue to assess a triage pilot intended to speed up the complaint screening process and consider extending the program to all regions. The program, set up before the pandemic in Region 2 (New York, New Jersey, Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands), is designed to reassign older whistleblower complaints from regions with sizeable backlogs to regions with smaller backlogs.“Whistleblower program officials have not utilized a similar approach during the pandemic to more evenly distribute whistleblower complaints,” the report states. OIG recommends the agency develop a caseload management plan to be able do so.In general, whistleblower cases are assigned based on the whistleblower’s location or where the majority of witnesses appeared to be located. However, OIG points out, many investigations are conducted via telephone interviews and with electronic delivery of supporting documentation,
making distributing caseloads easier.Sign up for Safety+Health's free monthly email newsletters and get the news that's important to you. SUBSCRIBE NOWActing OSHA administrator Loren Sweatt agreed with the recommendations in a response memo dated Aug. 10 and addressed to Assistant Inspector General for Audit Elliot Lewis. She wrote that the agency has processed more than half of the COVID-19-related complaints received to date, with an average screening time of 10 days – faster than the agency’s fiscal year 2020 Operating Plan’s performance measure of 13 days.Sweatt added that the “Whistleblower Investigations Manual” is close to its first published update since September 2011.“In the meantime, the agency continues to issue new guidance to investigative staff, strengthen our collaborative relationships with our partner agencies, and develop new customer service and outreach tools,” she wrote.
from: https://www.safetyandhealthmagazine.com/articles/20249-speeding-up-oshas-response-to-covid-19-whistl... -
A powder coating company has been fined after a worker in a factory in Poole, Dorset suffered shattered lumbar vertebrae and had to be kept in a lying down position on his back for two weeks in hospital.Southampton Magistrates’ Court heard how on 27 July 2017, the worker was checking the straps on a wheeled A-frame trolley containing ten 6m long twin wall polycarbonate sheets weighing 34kg each, when the load unexpectedly toppled onto him pushing him to the ground. Colleagues had to lift the sheets off the worker and call for an ambulance.An investigation by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) found that C & R Powder Coating and Welding Fabrication Ltd had failed to ensure the safety of workers, engaged in the transfer and storage of plastic sheeting on a trolley. The investigation found that the trolley was not suitable for the storage and transport of the plastic sheets because it was not sufficiently long enough and had no means for ensuring the straps being used would stay in place.C & R Powder Coating and Welding Fabrication Ltd of 4 – 6 The Wharf Centre, Wharf Street, Warwick, Warwickshire, CV34 5LB pleaded guilty to breaching Regulation 4 of The Provision and Use of Work Equipment Regulations 1998 (PUWER). The company has been fined £20,000 and ordered to pay costs of £10,338.20.Speaking after the hearing, HSE Inspector Berenice Ray, said: “This incident could so easily have been avoided by simply carrying out safe working practices and ensuring work equipment is suitable for the purpose for which it is to be used.“Accidents like this can happen with plastic sheets but equally with wood board, steel plate or stone slabs. Any flat profile material should be secured against falling or slipping out as the consequences can be a serious injury or even a fatality.“Companies should be aware that HSE will not hesitate to take appropriate enforcement action against those that fall below the required standards.”
from: https://press.hse.gov.uk/2020/08/07/powder-coating-company-fined-after-worker-suffers-serious-back-i... -
The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) is contacting businesses in Greater Manchester to make sure workplaces are COVID-secure to help tackle the local outbreak of coronavirus (COVID-19) cases.HSE is working alongside Greater Manchester Combined Authority (GMCA) and local public health authorities to support the understanding of any patterns in the confirmed coronavirus cases in the area. Inspectors are out checking workplaces across Greater Manchester, putting duty holders and employers on the spot and ensuring that they are complying with the latest Safer Workplace guidance relevant to their sector.Being COVID-secure means that businesses need to put in place workplace adjustments to manage the risk and protect workers and others from coronavirus. Businesses can do this by following five practical steps:
- Step 1. carry out a COVID-19 risk assessment
- Step 2. develop increased cleaning, hand washing and hygiene procedures
- Step 3. take all reasonable steps to help people work from home
- Step 4. maintain 2m social distancing where possible
- Step 5. where people cannot be 2m apart, manage transmission risk.
from: https://press.hse.gov.uk/2020/08/10/hse-is-making-sure-businesses-in-greater-manchester-are-covid-se... -
Health and Safety Executive (HSE) inspectors are busy contacting and visiting businesses in Swindon to make sure workplaces are COVID-secure and help tackle a local outbreak of coronavirus (COVID-19) cases.After a rise in workplace Covid-19 outbreaks in the town, the government moved Swindon on to its coronavirus watch-list.HSE is working alongside Swindon Borough Council to support the understanding of any patterns in the confirmed coronavirus cases in the area while reassuring the local community.Inspectors are out checking workplaces across Swindon, putting duty holders and employers on the spot and ensuring that they are complying with the latest Safer Workplace guidance relevant to their sector.Being COVID-secure means that businesses need to put in place workplace adjustments to manage the risk and protect workers and others from coronavirus. Businesses can do this by following five practical steps:
- Step 1. carry out a COVID-19 risk assessment
- Step 2. develop increased cleaning, hand washing and hygiene procedures
- Step 3. take all reasonable steps to help people work from home
- Step 4. maintain 2m social distancing where possible
- Step 5. where people cannot be 2m apart, manage transmission risk.
from: https://press.hse.gov.uk/2020/08/12/hse-is-checking-businesses-in-swindon-are-covid-secure/?utm_sour... -
Brebner and Williamson Limited has been fined following an incident where John Niven, a self-employed subcontractor fell 15 feet from a youngman board, which had been used to create a temporary platform. He sustained multiple fractures and a brain injury.
Perth Sheriff Court heard that on 29 July 2016 Mr Niven was working on a new build at Plot 1, Station Road, Crook of Devon, Kinross. A youngman board was used to create a temporary platform to give access to the roof in an area without scaffolding. Mr Niven was standing on the youngman board when it slipped, causing him to fall onto a concrete floor slab below.
An investigation by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) found Brebner and Williamson failed to properly supervise the work at height, to ensure scaffold surrounded the full perimeter of the house under construction, and to ensure a suitable working platform and fall protection measures were in place.
Brebner and Williamson of St David’s Drive, St David’s Business Park, Dalgety Bay, Fife pleaded guilty to breaching the Work at Height Regulations 2005, Regulation 4 and Section 33(1)(c) of the Health and Safety at Work Etc. Act 1974 and were fined £5,000.
After the hearing, HSE Inspector Gillian Anderson said: “Falls from height remain one of the most common causes of work-related fatalities and severe injuries in this country and the risks associated with working at height are well known.
“Companies should be aware that HSE will not hesitate to take appropriate enforcement action against those that fall below the required standards.”
from: https://press.hse.gov.uk/2020/08/14/a-building-contractor-was-sentenced-after-a-subcontractor-sustai... -
Leeds and Bradford Boiler Co Ltd was sentenced for safety breaches after a worker broke his upper arm and suffered crush injuries to his lower arm in a workplace incident.
Leeds Magistrates’ Court heard that on 2 November 2018, Paul Madarasz was machining a two-tonne metal plate on a vertical borer machine. The metal cover plate was not sitting flush on the table due to some dirt or debris. He raised one side of the metal plate above the machine table using an overhead crane with C shaped hook so that he could clean the machine table underneath with a rag.
While he was doing this the cover plate slipped off the lifting attachment trapping his arm underneath. Mr Madarasz has had to undergo several long operations on his lower and upper arm and is unlikely to regain full function in his right arm.
An investigation by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) found that there was no safe system of work for this activity. This specific lifting operation and cleaning activity had not been assessed, which resulted in employees using a variety of unsafe methods.
Leeds and Bradford Boiler Co Ltd of Beechwood Street, Stunningly, Leeds pleaded guilty to breaching Section 2 (1) of the Health & Safety at Work etc Act 1974. The company has been fined £120,000 and ordered to pay £7,692 in costs.
After the hearing, HSE inspector Andrea Jones said: “Lifting operations and foreseeable activities including cleaning should be properly assessed and planned. “Other employees were also at risk of injury by falling metal plates.
“This incident could so easily have been avoided by using suitable lifting accessories, implementing safe working practices, and ensuring these are followed through appropriate supervision and monitoring.”
from: https://press.hse.gov.uk/2020/08/19/company-fined-after-worker-suffers-serious-crush-injuries/?utm_s... -
Are risk assessments encouraging unsafe behaviours? Tony Roscoe, Head of Consulting Services at Anker & Marsh, looks at human behaviour and whether people take greater risks because a risk assessment has been completed.
Working with SHE professionals, almost daily I meet people who are frustrated with other people’s behaviour, especially when it comes to safety. They feel that they have done everything to keep people safe and that ‘they’ won’t follow basic instructions and stop taking risks.There are many reasons that people take risk at work, I want to explore one that is not often discussed.The idea for this article came from a recent discussion on LinkedIn about risk and risk assessment. As with many things in safety, risk assessment is a logical process that is then applied by less than completely logical people.Are risk assessments encouraging unsafe behaviours?
One of the ways in which risk assessments break down is when it comes to human behaviour and people taking greater risks because a risk assessment has been completed.This sounds like an oxymoron. People take more risks because we’ve done risk assessments!Yes, unfortunately this is true. The answer isn’t to not do risk assessments, but to understand why they are taking the risk.Many years ago, I remember watching an episode of CSI Las Vegas, which involved a car crash and as this show tended to do, they wove some science into the storyline. In this case the science was The Peltzman Effect. This made me curious and I started to look into it, to understand its implications for safety.The Peltzman Effect is a theory which states that people are more likely to engage in risky behaviour when security measures have been mandated.Sam Peltzman is an economist who noted that the more safety that was mandated in cars e.g. mandatory seat belts, the more unsafe behaviours people performed in cars.So, in effect, the safer we make people feel, the more risk that they take.Safety cultureThis is the conundrum I see every day in safety. It is at the core of the frustration of pretty much every SHE person I have ever met.We take a person and make them feel invincible by covering them head to toe in PPE and giving them a mountain of paperwork, and their response is to take greater risks. In effect, the risk assessment has made it a little more likely that people will take a risk.How do we overcome this?Much of this, as with most things, comes down to culture.The key word in the definition is ‘mandated’. This is where safety is seen as something that is done to people, something that they have little or no control over.It is no surprise then that organisations with mature cultures based on communication, servant leadership and continual improvement have excellent safety records, because safety is not seen as being done ‘to’ people, but ‘with’ people.Whilst we continue to do safety to people, then the harder we work as SHE professionals, the more risk that they take, and around and around we go.
from: https://www.shponline.co.uk/culture-and-behaviours/are-risk-assessments-encouraging-unsafe-behaviour...
