Myth: People don’t have to take any responsibility for their own health and safety

A woman skateboarding

The reality

Employers have a duty to protect workers and the public from dangers caused by their work – and HSE is committed to making sure they do that. But health and safety isn’t entirely someone else’s responsibility.

We all have a duty to keep ourselves safe, by co-operating with safety measures and not putting ourselves or others in danger. This is just common sense – something we all use every day.

It’s important that we aren’t put at risk by other people’s actions, but if we ignore our own responsibilities, real risks can get missed. Playing the blame game doesn’t keep people safe – better to rely on common sense and co-operation.