New Health And Safety Minister Slated For Hypocracy In His Attack On Jobsworth Officials

Whilst there will be many who think its about time the government hit out at "potty" health and safety myths, there are those who accuse the Tory-led coalition of rank hypocrisy given its programme of slashing life-saving health and safety regulations.

The media ignored the news item in the main, leaving the Morning Star and the Daily Express reporting on the newly appointed Health and Safety Minister Mike Penning blasting those who come up with bogus health and safety myths over the Christmas period. He said the public should make a stand against "potty excuses" reports the Morning Star.

Meanwhile the Daily Express quoted him as saying:

"Countless lives have been saved and injuries prevented because of robust health and safety practices - but I will not stand for potty excuses giving these real safety laws a bad name.

I won't stand for people being too lazy to give a real reason. I want to put a stop to jobsworths abusing these laws by using them as a catch-all misleading excuse because they think they might get sued.

Through the Health and Safety Executive's Challenge panel, members of the public can now have confidence to stand up to jobsworths.”

As can be expected the news item was unbalanced and repeated media created health and safety legislation myths.

But the Morning Star’s news item was far better in quoting both Judith Hackitt and Hilda Palmer. It read:

“Health and Safety Executive chairwoman Judith Hackitt urged anyone "hiding behind health and safety as an excuse for an unpopular decision" to "come clean" about the real reasons.”

The news item continued:

Hazards Campaign spokeswoman Hilda Palmer said:

"It is not surprising but shocking nevertheless that the HSE - an organisation charged with preventing injury, illness and death of workers at work - is urging the public to report minor, trivial misuses of health and safety as an excuse when it doesn't kill, hurt or make anyone ill.

To focus on this at Christmas when workers are exposed to real risks to their health and lives - stress, over work, long hours, shift work, violence and aggression, musculo-skeletal injuries and being forced to do more than is possible safely - all to keep the customer happy, is a Scrooge special Christmas present to workers.

This nonsense from Mike Penning and HSE is bleaker than a Christmas carol as there is no happy ending for workers."

Source: Daily Express / Morning Star / Unionsafety

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