Good news!

Hello readers.

We have had good news in the Health and Safety World!!

We owe the good news to Chris Grayling the Justice Secretary. He is trying to tackle, in his own words, employees who do “something dumb” whilst at work and trying to pass a bill that ensures they will not win any form of compensation.

It is not very often that politicians get praise but Grayling deserves a statue of himself built outside Westminster next to Winston Churchill, just for even proposing a new bill based on common sense!

This all started when PC Kelly Jones threatened to sue a garage boss after she tripped over a 6 inch kerb whilst answering a phone call. She later dropped the case after public pressure. Something from this case must have kicked Chris Grayling into action and he has proposed the bill called – Social Action, Responsibility and Heroism Bill. Today the 21^st of July is the first time this bill will be debated in parliament, many more debates will likely follow but it is a good step in the right direction.

The bill proposes that Judges will also have to weigh up whether a person facing a compensation claim had demonstrated a ‘generally responsible’ approach to safety. If they didn’t the claimant may not receive compensation. It will also give extra protection to people who run events or helping the community.

This bill can only be a good thing. Chris Grayling had this to say about the bill –

“It is about trying to restore common sense to the kind of situations which happen all too often and very seldom get to court – where somebody has an accident at work, it’s entirely their own fault, they have got a perfectly responsible employer who has the normal health and safety procedures in place but that person does something dumb … and sues the employer anyway.”

We at Lighthouse applaud you Chris Grayling. It would make life a lot better.