11 April 2012

Panel Challenges Health And Safety Myths

The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) is asking the public to report 'health and safety' advice that is wrong or just plain daft.

According to the group there is no shortage of daft decisions being blamed on 'Health and Safety' and they claim the term 'health and Safety' is often incorrectly used as a convenient excuse to stop what are essentially sensible activities going ahead.

In a bid to put an end to daft health and safety measures the executive have set up an independent panel – the Myth Busters Challenge Panel - to scrutinize such decisions.

This Panel will look into complaints regarding the advice given by non-regulators such as insurance companies, health and safety consultants and employers and, quickly assess if a sensible and proportionate decision has been made. They want to make it clear that 'health and safety' is about managing real risks properly, not being risk averse and stopping people getting on with their lives.

Complain to the Panel

If you think a decision or advice that you have been given in the name of health and safety is wrong, or disproportionate to what you are doing, you can complain to the panel. It will investigate and publish its findings on the HSE website.

The Panel is supported by a pool of independent members who represent a wide range of interests. This includes small businesses, public safety, trade union, the insurance industry and many outside interests where day-to-day common sense decisions on risk management are made.

Top 10 worst health and safety myths

It's hard to tell where some of these ridiculous and baffling myths originate, but they all have one crucial thing in common - they are not required by health and safety law:

* children being banned from playing conkers unless they are wearing goggles

* office workers being banned from putting up Christmas decorations

* trapeze artists being ordered to wear hard hats

* pin the tail on the donkey games being deemed a health and safety risk

* candy floss on a stick being banned in case people trip and impale themselves

* hanging baskets being banned in case people bump their heads on them

* schoolchildren being ordered to wear clip on ties in case they are choked by

traditional neckwear

* park benches must be replaced because they are three inches too low

* flip flops being banned from the workplace

* graduates ordered not to throw their mortar boards in the air