Without ''Health and Safety', railways as we have known them may well not have existed.
Tay Bridge disasters would be an everyday occurance.
The railways are a prime example of 'Health & Safety' practices being (some legislatively) in place since the year dot.
virtually every practice found within the operation or construction of railways and associated equipment has its basis on 'safety'.
simply because, the human element CANNOT be relied upon to exercise its own 'safety' proceedures.
Look at the road around the world?
and the safety issues surrounding those?.....And those that use them?
The Highway Code came into being, simply because the human element patetly failed to provide its own safety proceedures, on an individual basis.
The accident statistics proved that.
Health & Safety is a vital element of everybody's working and living environment.
it is there, simply because human beings as individuals simply cannot, or do not, understand the issues of risk.
the ''conker'' issue arose, not through any concern about children suffering, potentially, serous injuries..(and knowing children's behaviour these days, causing injury might well be the intent, rather than hitting a conker......and I wonder where a child would get that behaviour from? Us adults?)........but through concern that teh School itself might become victim of our self-induced compensation culture.
thus,'' health and safety'' really was not the culprit..simply the whipping boy.
the real culprits in our H&S conscious wolrd are in fact us, ,the people.....and the attititudes we adopt.
H&S is simply the re-action to our own selfishness and irresponsibility.
Goedel thinks life would not be the same without an element of 'risk?'
for far too many, it isn't.......as a result of someone pushing the 'risk envelope?'
If anybody doesn't see what I mean, take a look at your individual driving standards out on the roads?
I mean, a REAL look.
don't confuse the safe arrival at journey's end with safe driving.......one's safe arrival is likely to be as much down to 'luck' as 'intent'.
next time out on the road, just take an honest look at how much of your safety and wellbeing is ACTULALLY down to the actions of others with regards to what you do?
relying on OTHER road users and their actions, to keep YOU safe?
In my book, not a good environment to be in...relying on others?
but it happens all the time...which is why we NEED Health and safety proceedures.