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In the Interests of Safety
An entertaining and fascinating examination of the rules and regulations that dominate everyday life—how they came about, who they serve, and whether they actually make us safer
Does an airline pilot really need to surrender his fountain pen at airport security when he's about to board an aircraft equipped with an axe on the back of the cockpit door? Can a cellphone really cause a major explosion at a gas station? Is there really a good reason why you should be prevented from swimming in a lake more than a foot deep? These rules exist, and they exist in the name of our own protection. But this engrossing dissection of global health, safety, and security regulations digs a little deeper to discover the real reasons behind many of the instructions we obey without questioning their creators' motives. The conclusions range from the startling to the staggering, and in presenting them the authors argue that many safety rules are not as unassailable as we think, and seek to empower us to question the people and organizations who come up with them in the first place.
Does an airline pilot really need to surrender his fountain pen at airport security when he's about to board an aircraft equipped with an axe on the back of the cockpit door? Can a cellphone really cause a major explosion at a gas station? Is there really a good reason why you should be prevented from swimming in a lake more than a foot deep? These rules exist, and they exist in the name of our own protection. But this engrossing dissection of global health, safety, and security regulations digs a little deeper to discover the real reasons behind many of the instructions we obey without questioning their creators' motives. The conclusions range from the startling to the staggering, and in presenting them the authors argue that many safety rules are not as unassailable as we think, and seek to empower us to question the people and organizations who come up with them in the first place.
- GenresNonfictionScience
288 pages, Paperback
First published July 3, 2014
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Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews
June 25, 2019
“Elf and Safety” has long been ridiculed for being over cautious and part of the Nanny state; in the wake of 9/11 the world has gone Health and Safety crazy – but are all the restrictions, particularly in airports really necessary? Well it appears to be “security theatre” – in other words, these measures have to be seen to be taken in order that people will feel safe. The authors quote the stupidity of a rule which confiscates a butter knife from a pilot, but allows, if not encourages, passengers to board a plane clutching bottles of duty free alcohol which could be turned into Molotov cocktails! They have dissected the rules and the reasons and found that despite unbelievably vast amounts of money, no bombs have been found on passengers travelling on planes, nor have the materials to make explosives ever been found. Experiments have been carried out o determine whether or not certain explosives could possibly be made on a plane – the answer is a decisive No, yet still the rules are in place. Anything that is even slightly connected to a gun is confiscated – from a T-shirt bearing a drawing of a gun to a teeny tiny plastic gun attached to a teeny tiny toy soldier. Rules is Rules seem to be the overriding order of the day, as common sense and logic fly out the window.
There are chapters dealing with different issues – photographers being banned from taking photographs of their own children playing football. Children having to be supervised at swimming pools, and the extraordinary lengths one mother went to get the rules changed. Road and rail safety: after the Clapham Junction rail crash (1988), fares increased, apparently to pay for improved safety measures. The following year there was a substantial increase in road traffic – this in turn resulted in more road injuries and deaths. The authors draw the conclusion that “more people died as a result of new safety measures on the railways than the crash that catalysed them”. What they fail to mention is that along with increased fares there was the fear of another major rail crash. At times I felt the book was somewhat biased, and determined to ridicule just about everything they examined.
Although the subject matter might be perceived to be as dry as an old bone, there is enough humour to keep it a fairly light read. What disappointed me was the lack of information on how to go about changing things, despite the fact that this book is supposed to contain just that. For that it gets only a three star rating from me, but I will read it again sometime in the future.
There are chapters dealing with different issues – photographers being banned from taking photographs of their own children playing football. Children having to be supervised at swimming pools, and the extraordinary lengths one mother went to get the rules changed. Road and rail safety: after the Clapham Junction rail crash (1988), fares increased, apparently to pay for improved safety measures. The following year there was a substantial increase in road traffic – this in turn resulted in more road injuries and deaths. The authors draw the conclusion that “more people died as a result of new safety measures on the railways than the crash that catalysed them”. What they fail to mention is that along with increased fares there was the fear of another major rail crash. At times I felt the book was somewhat biased, and determined to ridicule just about everything they examined.
Although the subject matter might be perceived to be as dry as an old bone, there is enough humour to keep it a fairly light read. What disappointed me was the lack of information on how to go about changing things, despite the fact that this book is supposed to contain just that. For that it gets only a three star rating from me, but I will read it again sometime in the future.
October 28, 2014
Safety rules for airline passengers were once a simple matter of confirming that no one had interfered with your luggage and you were not carrying any explosives. Today any flight involves an endless array of questions, an undignified scramble to remove jackets, scarves and belts and a public display of your cosmetics and toiletries. Laptops must be removed from your bag so they can be electronically screened. But what about iPads? Yes in some airports, no in others. Shoes on or off? Depends on how busy the queue is it seems. Those are just some of the hurdles you encounter before you even set foot in the craft itself.
Once on board there follow yet more instructions. Not content with repeated warnings to switch off mobile devices and electronic gadgets, the steward on my small domestic flight in the USA insisted I could not have my e reader on my lap during take off. It had to be in the seat pocket according to aviation law he said. There is no such law. When was the last time you heard that a flight malfunctioned because a passenger used a mobile phone during take off or landing? I can’t think of a single case even though airline insiders estimate they on a large flight there will be around 20 people who forget to switch off their mobile phone. If these devices really are dangerous why are they even allowed on board?
Every day, millions of us are subjected to safety rules like these that don’t make sense. We are told they are for our protection but often the risk they are meant to safeguard against is minuscule. Do I really need to be told after a buying a take away coffee that I am carrying a hot drink? Apparently I am too stupid to work this out for myself so the carton carries the warning Caution Hot Liquid. All because a woman in America sued a take away restaurant she believed responsible when she burned her legs while holding the cup between her legs as she drove her car.
Examples like these form the basis of an engrossing examination of global safety and security instructions And regulations by Tracy Brown and newspaper science editor Michael Hanlon. In the Interests of Safety: The Absurd Rules that Blight our Lives and How We Can Change Them, looks at some of the insane rules developed in a risk averse and increasingly litigious world. The authors provide plenty of examples of the kind beloved by tabloids as illustrations of what they like to call “health and safety gone mad.” Bans on parents filming their own children in school plays and sports days, nail clippers removed from airline pilots because they are deemed dangerous (these are people who will shortly be in charge of a machine loaded with gallons of highly flammable fuel), plastic bottles of soft drinks banned from aircraft while glass bottles of alcohol are permitted. Children not allowed to play conkers in school yards in case they hurt themselves but required to play contact sports like rugby or to throw javelins and shot putts.
We go along with these rules often because we imagine that so where’d there is evidence that they make life safer. The authors show however that often the evidence is contradictory, inconclusive or simply never existed. Some are made up on the spot by an overly officious official and then become urban myths, or are introduced by local authorities to avoid compensation-seekers draining their funds. In general, whenever officials cite terrorism laws to stop you taking photographs in public, a hospital refuses to tell you how your relative is after an operation, or a call-centre worker cites “data protection” as a reason not to tell you something innocuous, the authors recommend you challenge them to cite the rule and explain exactly how it applies. “The core philosophy of the book,” the authors say, “is ask for evidence.”
As amusing as this book is, there is a more serious message amongst the many examples so absurd I winced as well as laughed. The authors research revealed that some rules actually increase risk, creating situations more dangerous than the activity they were put in place to prevent. One Danish architect cited by the book believes that the spatial awareness skills of children are restricted because the equidistant rungs on playing equipment discourage them thinking where to put their feet.
A book of this nature could easily become a rant about the increasing control being exercised over our lives by government bodies. The authors do temper their criticism however by acknowledging that there are many essential policies and regulations, often introduced as a result of pressure from trade unions, which make our workplaces and streets safer. Their argument isn’t against health and safety regulation as such but what they urge is a more considered approach.
Once on board there follow yet more instructions. Not content with repeated warnings to switch off mobile devices and electronic gadgets, the steward on my small domestic flight in the USA insisted I could not have my e reader on my lap during take off. It had to be in the seat pocket according to aviation law he said. There is no such law. When was the last time you heard that a flight malfunctioned because a passenger used a mobile phone during take off or landing? I can’t think of a single case even though airline insiders estimate they on a large flight there will be around 20 people who forget to switch off their mobile phone. If these devices really are dangerous why are they even allowed on board?
Every day, millions of us are subjected to safety rules like these that don’t make sense. We are told they are for our protection but often the risk they are meant to safeguard against is minuscule. Do I really need to be told after a buying a take away coffee that I am carrying a hot drink? Apparently I am too stupid to work this out for myself so the carton carries the warning Caution Hot Liquid. All because a woman in America sued a take away restaurant she believed responsible when she burned her legs while holding the cup between her legs as she drove her car.
Examples like these form the basis of an engrossing examination of global safety and security instructions And regulations by Tracy Brown and newspaper science editor Michael Hanlon. In the Interests of Safety: The Absurd Rules that Blight our Lives and How We Can Change Them, looks at some of the insane rules developed in a risk averse and increasingly litigious world. The authors provide plenty of examples of the kind beloved by tabloids as illustrations of what they like to call “health and safety gone mad.” Bans on parents filming their own children in school plays and sports days, nail clippers removed from airline pilots because they are deemed dangerous (these are people who will shortly be in charge of a machine loaded with gallons of highly flammable fuel), plastic bottles of soft drinks banned from aircraft while glass bottles of alcohol are permitted. Children not allowed to play conkers in school yards in case they hurt themselves but required to play contact sports like rugby or to throw javelins and shot putts.
We go along with these rules often because we imagine that so where’d there is evidence that they make life safer. The authors show however that often the evidence is contradictory, inconclusive or simply never existed. Some are made up on the spot by an overly officious official and then become urban myths, or are introduced by local authorities to avoid compensation-seekers draining their funds. In general, whenever officials cite terrorism laws to stop you taking photographs in public, a hospital refuses to tell you how your relative is after an operation, or a call-centre worker cites “data protection” as a reason not to tell you something innocuous, the authors recommend you challenge them to cite the rule and explain exactly how it applies. “The core philosophy of the book,” the authors say, “is ask for evidence.”
As amusing as this book is, there is a more serious message amongst the many examples so absurd I winced as well as laughed. The authors research revealed that some rules actually increase risk, creating situations more dangerous than the activity they were put in place to prevent. One Danish architect cited by the book believes that the spatial awareness skills of children are restricted because the equidistant rungs on playing equipment discourage them thinking where to put their feet.
A book of this nature could easily become a rant about the increasing control being exercised over our lives by government bodies. The authors do temper their criticism however by acknowledging that there are many essential policies and regulations, often introduced as a result of pressure from trade unions, which make our workplaces and streets safer. Their argument isn’t against health and safety regulation as such but what they urge is a more considered approach.
September 20, 2014
“Elf and Safety” has long been ridiculed for being over cautious and part of the Nanny state; in the wake of 9/11 the world has gone Health and Safety crazy – but are all the restrictions, particularly in airports really necessary? Well it appears to be “security theatre” – in other words, these measures have to be seen to be taken in order that people will feel safe. The authors quote the stupidity of a rule which confiscates a butter knife from a pilot, but allows, if not encourages, passengers to board a plane clutching bottles of duty free alcohol which could be turned into Molotov cocktails! They have dissected the rules and the reasons and found that despite unbelievably vast amounts of money, no bombs have been found on passengers travelling on planes, nor have the materials to make explosives ever been found. Experiments have been carried out o determine whether or not certain explosives could possibly be made on a plane – the answer is a decisive No, yet still the rules are in place. Anything that is even slightly connected to a gun is confiscated – from a T-shirt bearing a drawing of a gun to a teeny tiny plastic gun attached to a teeny tiny toy soldier. Rules is Rules seem to be the overriding order of the day, as common sense and logic fly out the window.
There are chapters dealing with different issues – photographers being banned from taking photographs of their own children playing football. Children having to be supervised at swimming pools, and the extraordinary lengths one mother went to get the rules changed. Road and rail safety: after the Clapham Junction rail crash (1988), fares increased, apparently to pay for improved safety measures. The following year there was a substantial increase in road traffic – this in turn resulted in more road injuries and deaths. The authors draw the conclusion that “more people died as a result of new safety measures on the railways than the crash that catalysed them”. What they fail to mention is that along with increased fares there was the fear of another major rail crash. At times I felt the book was somewhat biased, and determined to ridicule just about everything they examined.
Although the subject matter might be perceived to be as dry as an old bone, there is enough humour to keep it a fairly light read. What disappointed me was the lack of information on how to go about changing things, despite the fact that this book is supposed to contain just that. For that it gets only a three star rating from me, but I will read it again sometime in the future.
Thanks to Netgalley for a free Kindle download to review.
There are chapters dealing with different issues – photographers being banned from taking photographs of their own children playing football. Children having to be supervised at swimming pools, and the extraordinary lengths one mother went to get the rules changed. Road and rail safety: after the Clapham Junction rail crash (1988), fares increased, apparently to pay for improved safety measures. The following year there was a substantial increase in road traffic – this in turn resulted in more road injuries and deaths. The authors draw the conclusion that “more people died as a result of new safety measures on the railways than the crash that catalysed them”. What they fail to mention is that along with increased fares there was the fear of another major rail crash. At times I felt the book was somewhat biased, and determined to ridicule just about everything they examined.
Although the subject matter might be perceived to be as dry as an old bone, there is enough humour to keep it a fairly light read. What disappointed me was the lack of information on how to go about changing things, despite the fact that this book is supposed to contain just that. For that it gets only a three star rating from me, but I will read it again sometime in the future.
Thanks to Netgalley for a free Kindle download to review.
October 5, 2015
I was expecting a series of health-and-safety-gone-mad cases, and while they're present (and dealt with swiftly and disdainfully) this book goes deeper than that. It investigates the history and motives behind no-risk culture, cultural and geographical differences, commercial and political interests and the case histories of the establishment and challenges to several rules. Given the language and detail involved it's highly readable - sometimes the tone is conversational verging on fluffy - but also presents its conclusions and advice clearly, with guidelines for dealing with jobsworths and challenging their excuses in the name of safety.
March 27, 2015
Great book on the topic. It clarifies doubts we've all had on "safety" measures, while also giving you an idea on what has been done to stop the madness that somettimes takes hold. Of course, the book also fills you with a burning rage as you are reminded of useless, irritating and costly procedures that cannot be stopped any time soon, or of many instances in which confrontation occurs with bullheaded officials. I don't think my blood preassure has ever been so high while reading a book.
November 12, 2016
Some very interesting points here raised about rules & regulations, why we have them and how the introduction of them sometimes leads to other dangers that haven't been considered. Most of the time rules & regulations are just in place to protect organisations from insurance claims rather than doing any good.
August 9, 2014
Excellent book that highlights the importance of critical thinking. Gives some really clear examples of how a culture of "safety and security at any cost" can lead to unintended negative consequences.
September 1, 2014
Good start and then petered out towards the end
Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews