Dear Sir
News and Star readers can be reassured that there are no health and safety 'rules' that stand in the way of using starter pistols at school sports days - "School sports day ban for Carlisle's Olympic Games starter" (19 June 2012). To state otherwise is both inaccurate and misleading.
Health and safety laws exist to protect workers and others from serious injury and ill health at work, not to interfere with harmless activities at primary school sports days. It is important to be clear about what the law does and doesn't require - it's too easy to blame 'health and safety' when something is 'banned' for other reasons. This undermines confidence in sensible health and safety measures.
Yours faithfully
Pam Waldron
Director Scotland & Northern England
Health & Safety Executive
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