Dear Rob MacLachlan / Tim Smedley,

Thank you so much for the article on pages 3 and 22 of the August edition of People Management.

I worked through the period 1975 to 2000 when the legislation quoted in the “timeline” on pages 24/25/26 was implemented. Without such legislation there would have been no stimulus for employers to do anything much on the H.S front. Indeed to take a pro-active approach, coupled with effective organisation analysis and development on H.S matters meant a definite improvement in the culture, effectiveness and profitability of the company I worked for. When all the legislation from 1975 onwards eventually came into effect, I developed the a format in 1999/2000 which combined all the legislation into a workable methodology.

After much use it became internalised in my thought process such that, since retirement, its constantly in use in a wide variety of situations. Your articles rightly point out the negative impact of recent and proposed changes. Symptomatic of the complacency and lack of attention to crucial detailed aspects of HS policy and procedures was my flight on two separate aircrafts in the last two months. Seated over the wing on each occasion I was advised in words and illustration to evacuate in an emergency onto the wing. I asked the cabin crew, and subsequently the captains of each flight, what passengers should do when we were on the wing and no-one knew! One suggestion was to slide down the flaps! I have since taken the matter up with the regulatory bodies who are investigating.

Members of the institutes should follow your lead and speak up about the retrograde and dangerous proposals in H.S.

Yours sincerely
WJ Jenkinson M.C.I.P.D