Britain's safety watchdog has hit back at claims of a ban on traditional school ties and urged people to do their homework on the subject.
The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) said edicts ordering parents to replace their children's school ties for clip-on alternatives have no basis in law and 'elf and safety' cannot be blamed.
If schools or colleges are choosing to ban traditional ties it is not because they have been outlawed - something that could revealed by a little basic research.
HSE is exposing a series of 'elf n safety' myths, which are undermining the legitimate work to protect workers from death and serious injury.
David Bryant, head of HSE's education directorate, said:
"We notice it time and again that ridiculous myths about what you can't do for health and safety reasons find their way into the public consciousness. Often there is not a single shred of evidence and it is prompted by one or two isolated incidents.
"It's sad because it serves only to trivialise the real work being done to protect workers from death and serious injury.
"Few parents would see wearing school ties as a safety issue and we agree with them. There is nothing in law to prevent pupils from wearing ties.
"We don't set such rules, we don't enforce these rules and we certainly don't encourage these rules.
"After all, millions of children have been wearing ties for years without any real problems and if the concern is about kids fighting, then the real issue is about discipline."
In a series of myth-busting cartoons on its website, HSE aims to tackle the plethora of misunderstandings or untruths peddled about health and safety legislation.
For more information about this and other health and safety myths please visit: http://www.hse.gov.uk/myth/index.htm
The Health and Safety Executive is Britain's national regulator for workplace health and safety. It aims to reduce work-related death, injury and ill health. It does so through research, information and advice; promoting training; new or revised regulations and codes of practice; and working with local authority partners by inspection, investigation and enforcement.
All enquiries from journalists should be directed to the HSE Press Office
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