Health and safety experts hit out at myths, such as banning kids from playing conkers
SAFETY experts say they are being unfairly blamed for unpopular killjoy decisions.
As thousands of children head back to school across Lincolnshire, the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) has moved to quash "myths" that it can ban conker fights, school ties and other fun pastimes such as pancake racing.
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George Linwood, 3, stocks up ahead of the conker-fighting season.
Samantha Peace, head of operations for the HSE in the East Midlands, said there was a difference between the things the agency was often blamed for and the work it undertakes to try and prevent major injuries or deaths in the workplace.
She said: "My son goes to a small village school and wears a very traditional school uniform.
"And while, like many parents, I appreciate that if he was to play with his tie around his neck then it could be dangerous, I just see it as part of looking smart and the identity of the school.
"It's not a health and safety issue – if society thinks it's a good idea for pupils to wear school ties, that's their choice.
"It's not for the HSE to get involved.
"The same is true for things like conker fights, running and tossing a pancake or chasing a cheese down a hill.
"It's all common sense.
"There is a big horse chestnut tree, where all the children get their conkers from for conker fights.
"We wouldn't want to see that disappear.
"But myths grow out of one or two decisions by individuals who blame health and safety and can reach the point where people believe they are not allowed to do things anymore, when they are.
"There is a big difference between children having fun and people being seriously injured or killed at work in accidents that could have been prevented, which is what we are interested in."
Katherine Heard, 16, a member of the Lincolnshire Youth Parliament, said she had seen firsthand instances of health and safety being blamed for decisions at her school.
She said: "People should make clearer what are one school's regulations and what is really being restricted by health and safety.
"Saying something controversial is down to health and safety when it's not gives a bad impression of the HSE – but it's not their fault."
Mum-of-two Kathleen Lingwood, of Long Leys Road, Lincoln, said it was good to see the HSE trying to dispel the myths that surround these issues.
"I don't think schools should be concerned about things like sack races, conkers or school ties as they could waste time dealing with things like that.
"But the HSE are doing a good job by trying to dispel these myths."
6 Comments
by Sam, Spalding
Sunday, September 05 2010, 11:26PM
“shurlly ne munny wastid on helth an saphety it wud be betr to spend it on weppuns so our brave men and dont forget wimin teechers on the frunt line wil be betr abul 2 proteck thamsellfs off terrurrist pewpills espeshly those of east yuropean an coloured orrigin.”
by Cameron Love, lincoln
Friday, September 03 2010, 12:19PM
“I think there blame lays squarely at the foot of compensation firms that are happy to sue on peoples behalves with "no-win, no-fee" offers.
Put simply, headteachers and other places the public are, are not scared of HSE, they are scared of being sued for everything.
They are not scared that the HSE may come down hard on them for allowing a conker fight... they are scared that Timmy's mum will sue the school for £5,000 for sending her son home with a bruised thumb!
With eager compensation firms begging people to sue for any slight incident, and the offer of cold hard cash for the parent on the basis if they lose it wont cost them a single penny..... is it any wonder that schools or firms are doing anything possible to stop the chances of a private action being taken against them!
Clamp down hard on compensation firms and the whole "no win, no fee" culture, and stop all this ridiculous suing for things that could be easily avoided using common sense, and we will soon see a return to the old ways of allowing common sense ruling the classrooms and firms!”
by halibut, Lincoln
Friday, September 03 2010, 11:26AM
“While we're at it, could we also inform the loopy loop head teachers that it is NOT illegal for parents to take video cameras to school plays and sports days”
by Pete, Lincoln
Friday, September 03 2010, 10:08AM
“Lynn - you're missing the whole point of what the HSE person said.
There isn't a 'tie problem' at all - it's just an example of a perceived problem that doesn't exist.
Most of these so-called problems are just inventions of papers like the Daily Mail.”
by lynn, lincoln
Friday, September 03 2010, 9:04AM
“The 'tie' problem is easily solved, have clip-on ones.”
by Colin Mair, Coningsby
Friday, September 03 2010, 8:03AM
“HSE can take a step further by acting as arbitor when individuals introduce restrictions, blaming "Health & Safety". A copy of this article should be given to all those loopy loop head teachers who seem intent on wrapping our kids in cotton wool.”