The Health and Safety Executive (HSE)
has no intention of grounding Santa, the safety body's top official has
confirmed. HSE chair Judith Hackitt was
responding after a 14 December front page splash in the Daily Star headlined
'Elf and safety Santa ban' proclaimed: 'Health and safety nuts have banned
Father Christmas from an annual parade that has been staged without a problem
for almost 50 years. The bureaucrats ruled it would be too dangerous for the festive
hero to sit on top of a float that travels at walking pace.' HSE's
Judith Hackitt indicated the story, regarding an event planned by the Rotary
Club in Sutton, south London, was
Christmas crackers. She said: 'Clearly nobody wants Santa injured at this, his
most important time of year. But regular parades take place all year around all
over Britain
and floats are a major part of that tradition. Others have been successful in
finding ways of safely letting performers ride on vehicles so I am curious to
know why you considered this was not possible.' Calling on the Rotary Club to
reveal the real reason Sutton's Santa could be de-sleighed, the HSE
chair added: 'There may be genuine reasons why the Rotary Club has taken this
decision, but there is nothing in health and safety law which stands in your
way.' In the run up to Christmas, HSE is
urging firms not to be Christmas puddings. It is publishing its 'top twelve
festive myths, gifted to HSE from media
reports and correspondence received.' Top of the Xmas fairy tales are 'Santa
needs a seatbelt in his sleigh' and 'workers are banned from putting up
Christmas decorations in the office.'
This information was supplied by the TUC.
