Sensible risk management

The Department of Biology aims to promote a sensible approach to risk management based on the principles listed below. This reflects the approach of the Health & Safety Executive, an organisation that promotes a risk management style which focusses on 'practical steps to protect people from real harm and not bureaucratic back covering'.

Principles of sensible risk management:

adopt a pragmatic approach which encourages risks to be managed in a sensible, responsible and proportionate manner in line with all relevant regulatory requirements
focus on the effective management of real risks- including those that are most likely to cause serious harm and those which are likely to happen more frequently
promote a system that focuses on practical steps to protect people, not paperwork for its own sake
application of careful judgement to ensure appropriate application of regulatory requirements
promote a safety management system that encourages those responsible for generating the hazards to take ownership and management of the hazards
effectively engaging with the very people we rely on to make informed, reasoned judgements on safety matters
operate a blame free safety culture which encourages a process of continual improvement
discourage a management style that, a) primarily focusses on bureaucratic back covering which can generate an atmosphere of paranoia, and b) one that discourages honesty and openness on safety issues
ensure that the level of risk to an individual’s health and safety that results from working for the Department of Biology is a minor fraction of the overall risk associated with that person's lifestyle

David Nelson