Most organisations including HSE and local councils manage to put up their decorations, celebrating the spirit of Christmas without a fuss. They just sensibly provide their staff with suitable step ladders to put decorations rather than expecting staff to balance on wheelie chairs.
Christmas is a special time of year. Even so, it doesn’t stop health and safety being – wrongly – cited as a reason for preventing pretty harmless activities from going ahead. Not only does this needlessly ruin the festive spirit but it also trivialises the true purpose of health and safety: protecting people from real risk at, or connected with, work.
There are more than a few old chestnuts in this list, which has been compiled by HSE from media reports and correspondence received.
- Children are banned from having snowball fights
- Office workers told they can’t put decorations up
- Panto performers ordered not to throw sweets into the audience
- Being sued for clearing snow from outside your business or home
- Preventing people from putting coins in traditional Christmas puddings
- Seatings being removed from shops – despite wearing Christmas shoppers wanting to rest their feet
- Traditional shopping centre Christmas trees being scaled back or replaced by artificial alternatives
- Christmas lights needing electrical (portable appliances testing) PAT test every year
- Santa being ordered to buckle up on his sleigh
Have a safe Christmas from all here at Cambridge Safety!
Back to blogs
