Health and Safety is not a dirty expression. It's good working practice, and it makes us think twice before putting ourselves in danger, no matter what anyone says.
While I agree with you, it has also removed a lot of personal responsibility.
I suspect out of 10 accidents, the majority of the people will claim it wasn't their fault, even when it was.
This is what interests me more. Is it to save face? Because they genuinely think they are right?
It's the same with people who lie.
Not huge lies like "I didn't murder that person" but the little ones*
I come into contact with people day in day out who can't instructions on an email, yet then moan when there was no sign informing them of a rather large hole in the ground.
*I witnessed an attack on the Tube once.
Didn't see the beginning but the attacker got off and said to the victim "they'll be waiting for you at the next stop, mate".
My thoughts were:
1) In the less than 20 seconds this whole thing took, when/how did you manage to phone someone?
2) Are the people waiting superman? How would they get to the next stop before the train? (Yes, I appreciate some guy on YouTube did it... once).
Lo and behold, nobody was waiting at the next stop.
But what a horrible thing to say, to increase anxiety in the victim!
No wonder we have so many mental health problems these days.
Even at the time the guy was saying it, he knew it was a lie. So leads me to think whether he said it to (as above), save face? Appear more threatening / stronger? Dunno.