Health and Safety Gone Mad

Hunting Health and Safety craziness could take days: there are just so many crazy reasons given to spoil our fun. Even the HSE has listed some of the last year’s most bizarre bans on their website http://www.hse.gov.uk/news/bizarre-bans/index.htm] Here are some of the biggest eye rollers we found…but they don’t stop here! Let us know when you hear of more. 1. To prevent ear damage, the BBC’s orchestras have been advised to chew gum (while playing a trumpet?!) and sit further apart. http://www.telegraph.co.uk/culture/tvandradio/bbc/8726816/Chew-gum-and-sit-apart-BBCs-health-and-safety-warning-for-musicians.html 2. To avoid injury by mortarboard, graduates from Anglia Ruskin University were told not to throw their hats in the air post-graduation, as is tradition. 3. A 98-year-old wasn’t discharged from hospital because bosses had to assess whether her four-inch front-door step would be a hazard. 4. Fire Brigades Union stopped fire-fighters – who are pretty good with ladders! – from fitting smoke alarms because they were at risk on the stepladders. 5. Chris Moyles was told by the BBC that he couldn’t light birthday candles on a cake because of the fire risk; he also had to use a plastic knife to prevent injury from a real knife! 6. Wheeling a barrow of rubbish has been deemed too dangerous for a 61-year-old recycler. Local officials have told him he must drive to the dump instead. http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1047712/Man-banned-using-wheelbarrow-recycling-rubbish-tip--told-DRIVE-instead.html#ixzz1WUrxd7nT 7. Who can forget the craziness of Murray Mount being closed because of a bit of mud that could cause people to slip? 8. Schools can no longer have sack races because of the health and safety risks. 9. One council took swings down for fear of children getting dazzled by the sun. 10. And finally, pins can no longer be used to wear poppies on Poppy Day – imagine the pain you could be in if pricked by a pin. Youch! Of course we accept that when Health and safety is done right it can save lives, and we actively recommend our PASMA courses to ensure you work safely at height, but you’ll learn how to be sensible about H+S and when to use good old common sense.

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