SHEilds Craziest Health & Safety Guide

Bizarre, Weird and Downright Silly Myths

Most of the time Health & Safety regulations are in place with good reason, preventing serious hazards developing based upon research and previous accidents. However, occasionally people get overzealous with fabricated warnings and disproportionate precautions based upon little more than conjecture.  As a bit of fun – and to emphasise the value of measured risk assessment & response –  SHEilds has commissioned an infographic collecting some of the craziest examples of unfounded Health & Safety myths persisting today.

So keep your Pikachu on a leash and mind those dangerous footballs, here’s a rundown of some of the wackiest things we’ve heard about Health & Safety…

Keep it Sensible, Keep it Safe

None of the above is intended to devalue the importance of actual Health & Safety regulations founded by legitimate authorities, nor the severity of the risks they address.

Quite the opposite, it is all the more important that ridiculous myths and rumours are dispelled as widely as possible. Humorous as these are they devalue the real thing, making employees all the more likely to roll their eyes at the prospect of more ‘unnecessary measures’ getting in the way of their work. It cannot be stressed enough that Health & Safety legislation set out by actual authorities is the result of decades upon decades of careful refinement; observing existing risks and accidents then creating standards to reduce loss of life and injury.

Recognising the difference between this and scaremongering is vital to maintaining safety in the workplace. By all means question what you’re told if you suspect there isn’t anything to back it up, but never dismiss all regulations based upon the paranoia of a few.

If you’re in doubt, make the effort; find it in official publications or the online sites of whoever provides your legislation. Never accept or dismiss hearsay as the final word.