We’ve begun our campaign to make sure the media ‘Get the best’ in health and safety commentary.
The early leader in the ‘Bonkers Conker table’ will come as no surprise — heading the list are the Daily Mail, and its weekend equivalent, the Mail on Sunday, followed by the Daily Telegraph.
But the campaign is also about recognising when the media present a fair reflection of health and safety. The Daily Telegraph currently tops this list, with The Times and Sunday Times close behind. If you spot any crazy or positive examples of health and safety reporting, e-mail [email protected]
Baloney over Barney
The Bonkers Conker ‘story of the month’ concerns the clown prevented from using his bubble machine because insurers feared the risk of people slipping over. “Health and safety” was blamed for “going too far”, with the media citing “safety mania” as the reason for removing bubbles from Barney Baloney’s act.
IOSH responded by pointing out that this was “not so much a case of the health and safety industry gone mad, but of the insurance industry gone mad!”
This same story also attracted a Bonzer Conker — for Guardian columnist Mark Lawson. The Institution congratulated Lawson for his article, which, we believe, “highlighted the real issue behind this story — fear of litigation”.
