Challenge to health and safety ‘misuse’

Published on 11/04/2012 00:00

Health and safety “misuse”, such as children banned from playing conkers unless they wear goggles, or office workers banned from wearing flip flops, will be challenged by a new panel, the government announced today.

The panel, chaired by Health and Safety Executive (HSE) head Judith Hackitt, will offer advice to anyone affected by “ridiculous” decisions.

To mark the announcement, the HSE published a list of decisions the panel would challenge, including trapeze artists ordered to wear hard hats and graduates warned not to throw their hats in the air.