Health & Safety Executive - Myth about throwing sweets at pantos

The HSE issued a seasonal “Myth of the Month” to wave goodbye to 2009. Some pantomimes that took place during the Christmas period chose not to follow the long-held panto tradition of throwing out sweets to the audience. This decision was blamed on health and safety rules but was apparently taken because management were concerned at the potential cost of accident compensation should anyone in the audience be hit by a flying sweet.

Oh no it isnt !

The truth behind this particular misconception of health and safety regulations is that the risk of serious injury by being hit by a flying object such as a sweet is incredibly low. It is extremely unlikely that anyone would be able to pursue a compensation claim for such an incident. The HSE have declared that the risk is so low they are not worried about the possibility of accidental injury.

The Health & Safety Executive (HSE) has always stated that it exists in order to prevent death, injury or ill health to those at work, and those affected by work activities, and not to stop such enjoyable activities.

Effective risk management

As always, the HSE seeks only to achieve a balance between the kind of poor risk management that damages lives and the unachievable aim of absolute safety. Risk management should not be merely a bureaucratic exercise, but about protecting people from real harm by taking practical, realistic measures.

They urge any event organiser to talk to their insurer to check that they have the right cover and if there are any risks, they are managed effectively, ensuring that trivial risks don’t cause too much concern.

Making an accident compensation claim

If you or a family member have been injured in an accident, such as an accident at work, through no fault of their own, you may be able to make a claim for accident compensation. Clear Answers’ lawyers have teams of specialists waiting to help you, should you decide to instruct us to represent you in your accident compensation claim.

If you select Clear Answers to represent you in your claim, we will be happy to provide you with expert legal advice, and our specialist personal injury lawyers will talk you through the claims process in plain English. They will be happy to answer any questions you may have regarding your accident claim.

You will receive 100% of your compensation, and the person responsible for your injury will pay our legal fees - our service will be cost-free for you.

Please ring us on 0800 783 9019 and speak to one of our advisers to see if you have a valid accident claim for compensation. Alternatively, if you prefer to complete one of our online compensation claim forms, a representative will contact you as quickly as possible.

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