Training Partner - December 2021

I NOW reside in warmer climes for most of the year and am trying to resurrect a neglected olive grove. Fortunately, I have access to many experts, as it seems all in the local village have in-depth knowledge on how to look after olive trees. There is some debate as to environmental concerns on ploughing - although it does better catch the scarce rainfall, it creates soil erosion. The debate is just starting on this and will take time and evidence to be resolved.

‘I think the people in this country have had enough of experts’ was a famed partial quote from Michael Gove in 2016. It went on ‘from organisations with acronyms saying that they know what is best and getting it consistently wrong’, so not quite the flippant comment much reported at the time. 

Covid has brought forward a new batch of experts, both those with expertise and those whose Facebook research seems to make them think they are more expert than the real experts. Indeed, there is a worrying rise of keyboard non-experts polluting debate with unevidenced conspiracy theories - mind you some politicians are not without blame in this area.

Part of the problem is defining what is an expert. Unfortunately, a few with impressive post nominals have vested interests or strong political biases so you can always find one of two who disagree with the consensus view. To this end Michael Gove had a point, as there are many lobbying groups pushing an agenda for their masters/funders vested interests. Before you get the wrong idea, I am not defending Mr Gove; his statement was primarily used to dismiss valid arguments he had no response to.

I have been fortunate in my career to know some real experts in the field of safety and environmental management and my knowledge has benefited greatly from them. I also see the social media self-proclaimed experts expressing simplistic ideas, sometimes correctly, but often in a misleading way. This group are mainly self-publicists. Though they might have meaningful experience or knowledge, they are worryingly claiming expertise and collecting followers and supporters who will gain little of use from the information posted.

The problem we now face is determining who to believe. Genuine experts are often undermined by those whose commercial or political interests are challenged. The “Climate Deniers” are the most vociferous, with significant political and commercial support. For them, saving the planet is bad for business and diminishing voters' ability to drive and fly is not good for winning votes. Social media experts are also in abundance, developing complex conspiracy theories to deny the opinion of the vast majority of real experts.

Health and safety, although less newsworthy at the moment, comes in for periodic attacks from the vested interests. Some less enlightened businesses claim they are 'drowning in red tape’, although I note successive reviews have failed to identify significant safety legislation to cut. The protection of workers is currently winning the argument, albeit some politicians and media outlets like to point out occasional silliness; the old 'elf and safety gone mad' stories. However, UK health and safety is one of the areas in which we really do lead the world, with a body of knowledge, practice and regulation built up by experts over the years and without the obstinate politicians seen in other countries blocking progress.

Real experts are what make the world a better and safer place and should be listened to, more than social media, politicians or certain elements of the media who seek to muddy the body of agreed knowledge. Certainly, had the experts in the UK been listened to on COVID things may have been very different.

Gary Fallaize is managing director at RRC. For more information, visit www.rrc.co.uk