Top 5 Craziest Health and Safety Myths

Over recent years, a lot of ludicrous decisions have been put down to ‘health and safety’.  We’re not quite sure where a lot of these supposed bans or orders originate from - even the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) don’t know the origin!  

Here are our five favourite health and safety myths.  They might be random, but what they do have in common is that they are not legally required by health and safety law:

1. Conkers are banned unless children wear goggles – some schools may have decided to ban the horse chestnut at break time but not on official health and safety grounds.  As one of the oldest playground pastimes, it is hard to see how conkers can cause an issue, unless of course it is a lack of discipline that is really the problem?  Let’s hope children can continue enjoying this seasonal game for many years to come.
2. Office workers are not allowed to put up Christmas decorations – this is surely the doing of the workplace Scrooge, as there is no official health and safety ruling on Christmas decorations needing to be installed by a qualified professional.  Just be sensible and use ladders rather than standing on the chairs and you’ll soon have your halls decked, ready for the festivities.
3. Donkey’s tails can no longer be pinned – as with conkers, ‘pin the tail on the donkey’ is a classic children’s pastime and staple of birthday party celebrations.  Whilst you may be more likely to see children whacking a piñata donkey these days than using a drawing pin to affix a tail to a donkey whilst blindfolded, neither are a health and safety risk when supervised correctly.
4. Traditional school ties are banned – most parents will be familiar with the clip-on tie, however it is not health and safety issues that have led to this change in format.  Whilst it makes sense to remove ties in certain lessons for safety reasons, the decision to introduce clip on ties is generally down to the individual schools.  Personally, we think it may be a decision based on either laziness or the fact that most people nowadays have actually forgotten how to tie a traditional tie and thus we should be more worried about the skill dying out than whether it’s a health and safety issue!
5. Flip flops should not be worn in the workplace – of course every place of work will have its own clothing policy, which is usually based on safety and projecting the right appearance.  Contrary to popular myth however, flip flops are not banned from the workplace on health and safety grounds.  If you can wear them safely and not trip over then they may provide welcome coolness in the summer months, however, we would advise that you to check your office policy first.

Whilst it’s easy to get caught up in the madness of these myths, what we do know is that ensuring the health and safety of your workforce and the people in your care is paramount.  If you are responsible for providing a safe and healthy workplace or want to ensure your employees understand the potential hazards, why not enquire about our health and safety courses?  You can learn in groups at your own premises or even complete qualifications online in your own time.  Simply call us today on 01543 372888 to discuss your training needs.