Health and safety professionals upbeat in the face of media and economic woes

Sticks and stones might break our bones but branding us ‘killjoys’ will never hurt us! This is the spirited response to their detractors of health and safety professionals, who, despite constant negative portrayals in the media, feel their role in the workplace is more important than ever, and would recommend it to others as a rewarding career.

According to respondents to the Salary and Attitudes Survey 2009, carried out by IOSH and SHP earlier this year, health and safety is valued by organisations, with 43 per cent saying their role enjoys a higher status now than it did five years ago. Just 10 per cent of practitioners felt their status had diminished, while 39 per cent believed it to be about the same.

And a whopping 90 per cent said they would recommend a career in health and safety to others — despite the image of a ‘boring, fun police’ image built up of the profession in the national media in recent years.

Nevertheless, poor portrayal in the press was the second most common concern cited by survey respondents, after the economic downturn (see later story). Around 30 per cent of practitioners said they worry about the credibility of the profession in the public eye, inaccurate reporting by the media, and the constant need to rebut ‘bonkers-conkers’ stories.

Related to this issue, and mentioned by 17 per cent of survey-takers, was the lack of professional recognition for practitioners, and the insufficient experience and qualifications of some advisors. The survey revealed a strong level of support for government-recognised accreditation, with 81 per cent of employed practitioners and 79 per cent of self-employed consultants believing it could be beneficial.

As previously reported on shponline, IOSH is currently working on a feasibility study on an accreditation scheme. The study, being carried out jointly by the Chartered Institute of Environmental Health (CIEH), will look into levels of demand — from both clients and consultants — and existing accreditation models. Said policy and technical director, Richard Jones: “We believe accreditation will help ensure that those providing health and safety advice have sufficient competence to do so, and are bound by a code of conduct. This will be better for the health and safety of workers, better for employers, and better for the good name and standing of the profession.”

He concluded: “It is great that, despite the various challenges of economic downturn and negative media portrayal, nine out of ten respondents would recommend health and safety as a career to others.”

A more detailed analysis of the survey findings will be published in the Interface section of the October issue of SHP, and in the Interface section of this website at the beginning of that month.