The right to work safely

Neil Jowsey looks at current and future trends in health and safety management, from
product developments to the new buzzword of “sensible safety”

What value do we place on a human life? It’s a fairly
basic question and one that many might choose to
answer by looking at personal circumstances,
geographical or cultural influences. To me the answer is
simple – a human life is priceless no matter where in the world
you live, what you contribute to society, and what your
personal wealth might be. We all have a right to live and work
safely and to be valued.

For those of us in the business of helping to keep people safe at
work, the debate about personal and organisational risk is alive
and at the forefront of many people’s minds. Many factors are at
work here; the Government’s interest in getting health and safety
legislation in proportion, the current economic climate that leads
to questions about cost and benefit and the continuing stories of
‘elf and safety’ being blamed for preventing us enjoying ourselves
and for being adventurous.

The results of Professor Lofstedt’s review of health and safety
legislation have been widely debated. Some of the changes he
recommended have already been implemented and the timetable
for the rest moves swiftly on. Consultations are underway on a
number of issues and there are opportunities for all of us
involved to make our views known.

In the meantime, the HSE’s preliminary statistics for fatal
injuries in 2011/12 record 173 fatal accidents at work. In
comparison to other EU member countries, Great Britain has the
lowest rate of fatal injuries and I have no doubt that good
legislation, hard work by those involved in workplace safety
management and access to some of the most sophisticated safety
products have all contributed to this.

Sensible safety
So where will any improvements be made and is legislation such
a burden to businesses that it’s making us ‘switch off’ our health
and safety radar? Sensible safety is the new buzz word and to my
mind it’s all about being proportionate in what we do. Expecting
an individual to take sole responsibility of understanding and
managing all the risks involved in working with heavy machinery
or in a hostile environment is expecting too much. This is where
guidance, training and rules really do need to apply. But at the
same time, each individual must understand and appreciate what
is the sensible thing to do and how his or her actions can result
in danger to others as well as to themselves.

In terms of safety product development, the world is our oyster.

The technical developments in material design and manufacturing
are really astonishing and more easily accessible, driving
improvements in wearer comfort and acceptance which are where
the real achievements lie. Making sure we provide products that
people want to wear, that are comfortable to wear in the
environments in which they work and that do the job properly is
our goal and through partnerships with some of the world’s
leading designers and manufacturers we aim to achieve this.

We continually research and talk to our customers to find out
what’s really important to them and looking and feeling good as
well as keeping safe are top of their list. This is why style, fit,
comfort, design and branding are all key elements in making a
product acceptable. We also have to make it easy to select and
buy, so providing expert advice as well as options for the way
products can be ordered and delivered are all part of the overall
package.

Balancing protection and cost
Cost management remains an important issue and we
understand how important it is to make safety products
accessible for all those that need to use them. More often than
not, investing in the right kit is an obligation rather than a
personal choice and being able to afford the reliable equipment
could be a challenge. We’ve listened to what customers are saying
and have introduced a range of affordable, compliant, quality
safety products called Arco Essentials. The range will provide
head to toe protection that should suit any budget.

So it comes down to making some smart choices about
protecting life. Choosing to act in a way that doesn’t put you and
those around you in danger and choosing the right products to
protect you.

Neil Jowsey is marketing and business development director at Arco.