Chief Executive responds to Daily Express letter regarding Halesowen's Santa Claus

Letters Editor
Daily Express
The Northern and Shell Building
10 Lower Thames Street
London EC3R 6EN

4 December 2007

Sir,

Colin Bower rightly describes as ‘ludicrous’ (Letters, 3 December) the decision that Halesowen’s Santa Claus must wear a seat belt in his sleigh. He then makes a reindeer style leap to assume that the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) insisted on this stricture. HSE had no involvement whatsoever in this matter; our concern is addressing the risks that cause 240 workplace deaths and over 140,000 significant injuries a year.

Yours faithfully

Geoffrey Podger
Chief Executive
HSE
Rose Court
2 Southwark Bridge
London SE1 9HS