Most of us know the story of the great Anglo-Saxon King Cnut sitting in a chair on the sea shore trying to stop the tide rising passed his chair, but it still came in getting his shoes and legs wet. So, why has this got anything to do with modern day health and safety?

The answer is loads, as the health and safety advisor is like King Cnut, each day they go to the sea shore and try and command the rising tide to stop and go back. And this is where most fail because they command the tide to go back, they don't work with the tide.

The tide can be seen as the workers out on site, they come in each day and go out again. Sometimes they are whipped up by poor morale, commercial & peer pressure and what is happening at home. So things become unpredictable and dangerous as minds are not where they should be.

The role of the health and safety advisor is changing, it's not about pointing the finger and shouting the regulations, its now about working with and listening to the people out on site to clear the issues. The health and safety advisor needs to use the people as the SMEs (Subject Matter Experts) they are the ones who will help guide a business to a healthier and safer culture.

You can't stop the tide, but you can work with it. If only King Cnut had a local tide table.