"a “belt and braces” approach"

[Odessa Dawn]

"Sir John said the main aim was to help more students achieve a good grade in English, but he acknowledged it was also a “belt and braces” approach for schools."
More: Schools enter pupils twice for English exams to boost rankings

A “belt and braces” approach means providing double security,actions are done in order to be extra careful, and using more than one method to make sure that something is safe. Question: Can precautionary measures and a belt and braces approach be mutually substituted?

[5jj]

No. The point about 'belt and braces' is that it involves double security.

[death]

"belt and braces" means taking more action than are really necessary to make sure that sth succeeds or work as it should ,but "precautionary measures" ​means a preventative official action that is done in order to achieve a particular aim.

[Gillnetter]

"belt and braces" means taking more action than are really necessary to make sure that sth succeeds or work as it should ,but "precautionary measures" ​means a preventative official action that is done in order to achieve a particular aim.

Are you saying that because my actions are not sanctioned by some official they cannot be precautionary? I can take precautionary measures against my automobile overheating by making sure that there is adequate water in the cooling system.

[emsr2d2]

Are you saying that because my actions are not sanctioned by some official they cannot be precautionary? I can take precautionary measures against my automobile overheating by making sure that there is adequate water in the cooling system.

That's true, but putting water in the cooling system is not a belt and braces approach. A belt and braces approach would be topping up the water in the cooling system every single time you drive the car, making sure you have twenty litres of water in the boot to top up the cooling system just in case it runs out, and taking it to a garage once a week to get them to check the cooling system too!