News release
20 Ocotber 2009 NR 55/09
They came, they saw, they conkered!
In a bid to show health and safety never has ‘banned’ conkers, MPs
gathered on the leafy green, in Westminster, for their own charity
conker shoot-out, last week.
A dozen MPs put their conker skills to the test outside the
Houses of Parliament (on Wednesday 14 October), with their match
fees helping to raise funds for Guide Dogs for the Blind (a charity
supported by the World Conker Championships).
This crack conker challenge was staged by the Institution of
Occupational Safety and Health (IOSH) as part of its ‘Stop taking
the myth’ campaign. The campaign seeks to remind us that health and
safety isn’t a killjoy conspiracy to ban people’s fun but a
necessary safeguard against injuries and possible death. Too many
pastimes have been reportedly ‘banned’ in the UK with health and
safety taking the rap… like children being told to wear goggles to
play conkers by an over-cautious headteacher, for example, and
other such bogus ‘elf ‘n’ safety’ nonsense.
IOSH, the Chartered body for health and safety professionals,
believes this risk-averse approach is storing up problems for the
future:
“Cancelling or banning things is so often
driven by the fear of being sued, the cost of putting on an
activity or the misguided belief that what is required is simply
too complicated,” said IOSH President Nattasha Freeman.
“But there’s a real danger that this short
sighted approach to risk distracts people from the real truth
around deaths and major injuries. Health and safety decisions can
end up being ridiculed, which jeopardises the risk management
process that is so essential to preventing future accidents and
fatalities,” she added.
“It’s time to stop health and safety being
used as a convenient, catch-all excuse and appreciate that it’s
there to be used to save lives, not ruin them.”
Conkers were brought in on the day by the organisers of the
World Conker Championships, held in Ashton, Northamptonshire the
previous weekend.
And Westminster’s king of conkers? A hugely chuffed Bob Russell,
Liberal Democrat MP for Colchester, took home the trophy.
“Health and safety is a very important
subject, but you don’t have to be afraid of it - embrace it, enjoy
it, there’s nothing health and safety does that prevents people
from having a good time. Unfortunately, health and safety gets
blamed for lots of things which health and safety officers have had
nothing whatsoever to do with,” said Bob.
“Health and safety people are not there to be
killjoys, but to stop people being killed and injured. The serious
message behind this bit of fun is that we have to be careful in
society, in the workplace and indeed in the home.”
- Ends -
Notes for Editors
IOSH is the Chartered body for health and safety professionals.
With more than 35,000 members in 85 countries, we’re the world’s
biggest professional health and safety organisation.
We set standards, and support, develop and connect our members
with resources, guidance, events and training. We’re the voice of
the profession, and campaign on issues that affect millions of
working people.
IOSH was founded in 1945 and is a registered charity with
international NGO status.
To support its ‘Stop taking the myth’ campaign, IOSH sponsored
the World Conker Championships in 2007 and 2008
To view pictures from the Conker Challenge, please visit
IOSH’s
flickr page
Media enquiries
For more information please contact:
- Paul Marston, IOSH
Media officer, on +44 (0)116 257 3141 or
+44 (0)797 000 4494
- Jeremy
Waterfield, IOSH Media manager, on +44 (0)116 257 3252 or +44
(0)797 660 4715.