HSE names weirdest uses of health and safety as excuse for bans

The Health and Safety Executive has set out its top 10 list of the most bizarre health bans or restrictions spotted in media coverage over the last year.

“Health and safety legislation exists to protect people from real risks at, or connected with, work,” the HSE said. “But it can be hard to see this from some of the stories that are reported.”

The HSE’s top 10 stories – a number of which involved local authorities – were:

1. Wimbledon officials citing health and safety as a reason to close Murray Mount when it was wet. Daily Mail: 'Elf 'n' safety shuts Murray Mount: Fans might slip on the grass, warn officials', 21 June 2011
2. Stopping dodgem cars from bumping into each other at Butlins in Skegness. BBC News: 'Bosses at Butlins ban bumper cars over health and safety fears', 27 April 2011
3. Banning Royal wedding street parties. Daily Mail: 'Royal wedding street party? You'll need £5m insurance, love...', 13 April 2011
4. Removing an unwanted, bulky TV from a pensioner's home for recycling. Daily Mail, 'Pensioner, 85, paid council to remove old TV...and was ordered to drag it outside herself so workmen didn't injure themselves', 7 June 2011
5. Carnivals with fancy dress parades.: http://www.thesouthernreporter.co.uk
6. Kite flying on a popular tourist beach in east Yorkshire. Hull Daily Mail: 'Outrage at kite-flying ban on East Riding beaches', 10 June 2011
7. Stopping pupils from using playground monkey bars unsupervised in Oxfordshire. Daily Mail: 'Children banned from their own playground as health and safety officials decide monkey bars are too dangerous', 8 May 2011
8. Using pins to secure commemorative poppies. http://www.obantimes.co.uk
9. Schoolyard football games banned - unless the ball is made of sponge.
BBC News: 'Huyton school leather football ban safety row', 24 February 2011
10. Children no longer allowed to take part in a sack race at Sports Day. Metro: 'Three-legged race is given the sack'

The HSE believes that health and safety is used as a convenient excuse for unpopular decisions.

Responding to the report employment minister Chris Grayling told the BBC: "We have seen an epidemic of excuses wrongly citing health and safety as a reason to prevent people from doing pretty harmless things with only very minor risks attached.

“This has to stop. The law does not require this to happen - people must be encouraged to use their common sense."

[Note: Local Government Lawyer has not independently verified the stories named by the HSE].