Ban sweets at panto? Oh no we don't!

Date:

17 December 2009

Release No:

117/2009

With Christmas fast approaching, Britain's safety watchdog has moved to quell the expected avalanche of ridiculous health and safety myths.

The Health and Safety Executive are often blamed for spoiling people's fun around Yuletide by 'banning' many activities people enjoy but HSE is hitting back by saying in most cases the organisation has little to do with these decisions

Among the seasonal myths being challenged this Christmas is the idea performers cannot throw sweets into the audience at pantomimes.

The watchdog says this kind of story raises its head annually and is typical of the misunderstandings that encourages the public to view HSE as a bunch of killjoys.

It points out that often a health and safety myth is started by one person justifying an unpopular decision by wheeling out the well-worn phrase "it's because of 'health and safety" thereby ensuring another erroneous headline.

HSE says so many of today's myths have started because organisations use health and safety as a convenient excuse not to take any risks as they are fearful about litigation by anyone hurt on their premises.

Cameron Adam, Head of HSE's Entertainments and Leisure sector says that some organisations can be overly concerned about trivial risks.

He said: "The chance of someone being seriously hurt from being hit by a sweet thrown by a panto actor is very low and not something we would get involved in, or indeed worry about.

"Real health and safety is about avoiding death, serious injury and ill health, not wasting time on trivial risks or covering your back by stopping activities.

"We want people to distinguish between the real health and safety issues that people face at work as opposed to the trivial.

"Get that right and as one immortal pantomime phrase goes...we're behind you!"

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.

Notes to editors

1. 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.

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