<p> Employees have shattered the perception that health & safety (H&S) represents unnecessary red tape. <p/>
 
<p> The findings of a poll by YouGov, commissioned by the Institution of Occupational Safety and Health (IOSH), was revealed today at the House of Lords, and shows 65% of staff think H&S is a life-saving necessity.<p/>
 
<p> Just 28% of staff thought it was red tape, while 67% agreed it was important, and 69% said it was not a burden. <p/>
 
<p> IOSH president Ray Hurst said: “H&S is sometimes used as an easy excuse by bureaucrats who are afraid of litigation, or for over-the-top public safety decisions. People don’t go to work to be made ill, injured or killed, and it’s pleasing that our research shows the vast majority of employees agree with this.”<p/>