The Reality: Not according to businesses. Over 90% of employers and chief executives / senior directors have rated advisers as helpful. And 90% of CEOs and senior directors consider that health and safety requirements benefit their company as a whole.

The Reality: On its own, paperwork never saved anyone . It is a means to an end, not an end in itself – action is what protects people. So risk assessments should be fit for purpose and acted upon.Some high risk businesses require a fair amount of paperwork but for most people bullet points work very well indeed. Our assessments are worked on jointly and easily understood.

The Reality: Hanging baskets were briefly banned in a town over fears that they would make some old lamp posts unstable. This was an overly cautious reaction to a low risk. However, as soon as the lamp posts had been checked, the hanging baskets were quickly replaced and have been on lamp posts throughout the concerned town every year since. Despite this, the story continues to be repeated as though it happens every day all over the country.

The Reality: The story started after a school briefly banned children from using cardboard egg boxes to make things. They were concerned that children might catch salmonella. Within a few years the school realised there was guidance from the county council and an organisation for teachers called CLEAPPS, making clear that as long as egg boxes and toilet roll centres look clean, there is no reason why they should not be used!

The Reality: How could there be a health and safety law on this? The simple answer is, there isn’t. It seems that the story eminated from a decision by a facility manager and has no basis in law at all. There are no such bench requirements and no inspectors will be round to measure benches!