Risk Management

There comes a time when we are tired of hearing about petty health and safety stopping people doing worthwhile and enjoyable things, when at the same time others are suffering harm and even death due to poor management and complacency. That is why Corporate and Public Safety is joining with the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) to support a set of principles of sensible risk management.

The principles set out what we believe risk management should, and should not, be about. They are simple; they are common sense. To some they will no doubt be a statement of the blindingly obvious. Unfortunately they are clearly not obvious to everyone; if they were we wouldn’t keep hearing stories about people concentrating effort on trivial risks and unnecessary bureaucracy. And there would be far fewer injuries, cases of ill health and deaths caused by work.

The clear message is that if you are using health and safety to stop everyday activities – get a life and let others get on with theirs. But equally, if you think health and safety is a joke and that you can just ignore real risks, and then try telling that to the families of the 142 workers who never went home at all last year. Sensible risk management is emphatically about saving lives, not stopping them.

Sensible risk management IS about:

  • Ensuring that workers and the public are properly protected
  • Providing overall benefit to society by balancing benefits and risks, with a focus on reducing real risks – both those which arise more often and those with serious consequences
  • Enabling innovation and learning not stifling them
  • Ensuring that those who create risks manage them responsibly and understand that failure to manage real risks responsibly is likely to lead to robust action
  • Enabling individuals to understand that as well as the right to protection, they also have to exercise responsibility

Sensible risk management IS NOT about:

  • Creating a totally risk free society
  • Generating useless paperwork mountains
  • Scaring people by exaggerating or publicising trivial risks
  • Stopping important recreational and learning activities for individuals where the risks are managed
  • Reducing protection of people from risks that cause real harm and suffering

Corporate and Public Safety can assist you to look at the operational risks to your business and develop your plans and strategies to mitigate these risks. Simple things like knowing what to do when an incident takes place on your premises or nearby.If your risk management needs are greater, we can advise you on strategies and assist you with selection of software solutions.

It is our aim to help small businesses in Sussex understand and comply with health and safety legislation. If you believe that Corporate and Public Safety can help your business please make contact.

One definition of risk is:
Risk is the potential that a chosen action or activity (including the choice of inaction) will lead to a loss (an undesirable outcome). The notion implies that a choice having an influence on the outcome exists (or existed). Potential losses themselves may also be called “risks”. Almost any human endeavour carries some risk, but some are much more risky than others.

Corporate and Public Safety is a supporter of the Association of Local Authority Risk Management (ALARM) and through them John has previously been a finalist as Risk Manager of the Year.

As a Fellow of the International Institute of Risk Management. (FIIRSM) we are well placed to give advice on risk management. You can get up to date advice on risk management by visiting their website.

Further information on risk management and the Risk Management Standard go to www.alarm-uk.com