HSE Says it is Not the Fun Police
A recent survey, claiming that almost 30% of the employees think that HSE has put a ban on practices like wearing flip flops to work and children playing with conkers, surprised the people at HSE.
The chair of HSE, Judith Hackitt calling such claims as absurd has clarified that the HSE has not banned flip flops. This clarification was given in its newsletter through a series called ‘myth of the month’.
Hackitt went on to add that people like wearing flip flops to work in summers to stay cool. She also refutes the fact that the law bans wearing of flip flops, despite there being reports claiming such a ban.
She however, maintains that slips and trips amount to about 30% of all workplace accidents. She therefore suggests that for places where floor is slippery and cannot be kept dry all the time, a pair of well fitting shoes with good grip are always preferable to flip flops, which do not have a good grip.
HSE has launched a campaign called ‘Be Part of the Solution’, which emphasizes on a common sense approach to health and safety at workplaces. Judith Hackitt talks about HSE’s new campaign and stresses that the HSE is not looking at policing every act of the employees but intends to eradicate all risks at the workplace by ensuring that prudent safety measures are in place. For advice on the needs of your particular organisation, click on IOSH Safety from Workplace Law Training.
