Opinion

    Lawrence Waterman, Chairman Of The British Safety Council

    Not a man’s world

    If you look in your purse or wallet, there’s a good chance you will find a picture of Jane Austen – the result of a campaign initiated and led by Caroline Criado-Perez OBE when Elizabeth Fry, the Victorian prison and social campaigner, was replaced by Winston Churchill on the £5 note, leaving only men’s images celebrating achievement. 

    By Lawrence Waterman obe on 01 April 2019

    Accentuating the positive!

    I have recently been involved in reviewing the applications for the British Safety Council’s International Safety Awards for 2019, which have attracted in excess of 550 submissions across all sectors and from the UK and other countries.

    By on 01 March 2019

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    Building an inclusive workforce

    There are many misconceptions around disability. Often people picture the familiar image of a wheelchair user and assume that disability must be present from birth.

    By on 01 March 2019

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    For better, not for worse

    Unless you’re a political junkie or have been living on another planet in recent times, there is a sense of weariness about the apparently endless shenanigans surrounding the UK voting in a referendum to leave the world’s largest multicountry trading bloc and the way in which that is being haltingly translated into action by Members of Parliament.

    By Lawrence Waterman OBE on 01 March 2019

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    Control means the ability to regulate effectively

    For over four decades, the EU has been the final safety net for workers in the UK. With their rights enshrined in EU law they knew that whatever domestic government policy objectives, there was a minimum standard below which their rights could not fall. This has not only cemented employment laws, but also workplace, product and industrial safety.

    By Mike Clancy on 01 March 2019

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    Preserving the values of a robust system

    With the date for the withdrawal of the United Kingdom from the EU looming, future relations remain to be agreed; but as matters currently stand, what can we say about the likely effect of departure on health and safety law in the UK?

    By Laura Cameron on 01 March 2019

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    Be very careful not to lose what works

    While the UK’s current reputation abroad is far from its zenith, it’s good to know that, by and large, our safety performance remains the envy of the world.

    By Paul Reeves CFIOSH on 01 March 2019

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    Fighting for a health and safety level playing field

    I am a lifelong trade unionist. At the heart of trade unionism lies negotiating deals with employers and sometimes governments. The beauty of it is that you can create a deal that benefits everyone – workers and employers. It’s messy, it’s complicated but there’s something in it for everybody.

    By Luca Visentini on 01 March 2019

    Stop burying our heads in the sand

    Ignoring what’s staring you in the face is a pretty normal reaction and most of the time doesn’t do us too much harm.

    By Mike Robinson FCA on 01 March 2019

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    A year on edge

    I don’t think it’s any exaggeration to say that 2019 is shaping up to be a very significant year for all of us. At the end of last year, I wrote about how anxiety, linked to changes in our immediate working lives and wider changes in the country, is causing us to take our health and wellbeing far more seriously. To echo other debates, as we move into 2019, nothing has changed.

    By on 01 February 2019