The Health and Safety Executive and local authorities increasingly challenge the coverage of health and safety in the media. So often there is a dispute of sorts regarding businesses and individuals. The HSE writes a response on every issue that they believe has been misleadingly presented in the national press, including challenging when they are held to account over an issue that has nothing to do with regulation. Over the last four years, they have responded to an average of 2 – 3 stories a month in the national media it believes are misleading. The HSE and local authorities are also actively promoting the benefits of health and safety and of a sensible approach to risk management, and have developed a tagline for the sensible risk management programme: “we’re here to save lives, not stop them”. HSE evaluates the impact of these initiatives through a biennial survey of attitudes towards health and safety regulation and monitoring web site usage. It recognises, however, that changing attitudes is a slow process – and it that there is likely to be a significant lag between its activity and the corresponding impact. With a large volume of predominantly negative and frequently misleading coverage, it is concerning that such coverage does appear to shape attitudes. And it is notable that attitudes may have particular resonance with those who have less contact with other influences – the small and low risk firms.
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