Top 10 bizarre health and safety 'bans'

Health and safety legislation exists to protect people from real risks at, or connected with, work. But it can be hard to see this from some of the stories that are reported. Below are 10 of the most bizarre health bans or restrictions spotted in media coverage by HSE over the last year.

• 1. Wimbledon officials citing health and safety as a reason to close Murray Mount when it was wet

Example media story: Daily Mail: 'Elf 'n' safety shuts Murray Mount: Fans might slip on the grass, warn officials', 21 June 2011 http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2005491/WIMBLEDON-2011-Elf-n-safety-shuts-Murray-Mount.html

• 2. Stopping dodgem cars from bumping into each other at Butlins in Skegness

Example media story: BBC News: 'Bosses at Butlins ban bumper cars over health and safety fears', 27 April 2011 http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-13207198

• 3. Banning Royal wedding street parties

Example media story: Daily Mail: 'Royal wedding street party? You'll need £5m insurance, love...', 13 April 2011 http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1376039/Host-Royal-wedding-street-party-told-public-liability-insurance-worth-5m.html

• 4. Removing an unwanted, bulky TV from a pensioner's home for recycling

Example media story: Daily Mail, 'Pensioner, 85, paid council to remove old TV...and was ordered to drag it outside herself so workmen didn't injure themselves', 7 June 2011 http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1394759/Frail-pensioner-paid-council-remove-TV-told-drag-kerb-health-safety-fears-workers.html?ito=feeds-newsxml

• 5. Carnivals with fancy dress parades

Example media story: http://www.thesouthernreporter.co.uk http://www.thesouthernreporter.co.uk/

• 6. Kite flying on a popular tourist beach in east Yorkshire

Example media story: Hull Daily Mail: 'Outrage at kite-flying ban on East Riding beaches', 10 June 2011 http://www.thisishullandeastriding.co.uk/Outrage-kite-flying-ban-East-Riding-beaches/story-12746471-detail/story.html

• 7. Stopping pupils from using playground monkey bars unsupervised in Oxfordshire

Example media story: Daily Mail: 'Children banned from their own playground as health and safety officials decide monkey bars are too dangerous', 8 May 2011 http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1384853/Children-banned-playground-health-safety-officials-decide-monkey-bars-dangerous.html

• 8. Using pins to secure commemorative poppies

Example media story: http://www.obantimes.co.uk http://www.obantimes.co.uk/

• 9. Schoolyard football games banned - unless the ball is made of sponge

Example media story: BBC News: 'Huyton school leather football ban safety row', 24 February 2011 http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-manchester-12570062

• 10. Children no longer allowed to take part in a sack race at Sports Day

Example media story: Metro: 'Three-legged race is given the sack'

 From HSE website - http://www.hse.gov.uk/news/bizarre-bans/index.htm