HSE responds to Rotary Club of Cheam decision to ban Santa from his sleigh

Dear Mr Cunningham,

I have seen a number of stories in today’s newspapers reporting that your Rotary Club branch has taken a decision to prevent Santa Claus from riding on a sleigh during Sutton’s Annual Parade.

Health and safety has been cited as being the reason behind this decision, so I am writing to you asking for clarification of the issue.

Health and safety laws exist to provide safeguards against people being seriously injured or made unwell at work, not to hamper fun activities.

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.

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.

All too often we see headlines in the press citing health and safety as reasons for unpopular decisions. We recognise the decision is yours to make but we would appreciate you making public details of the real reason behind your decision.

Yours sincerely,

Judith Hackitt
Chair
Health and Safety Executive

via HSE responds to Rotary Club of Cheam decision to ban Santa from his sleigh.

DISCLAIMER: Environmental, Health and Safety News is not affiliated with or maintained by ANY for profit or non-profit entity. It is a 100% volunteer effort free from advertising or sponsorship of any kind. This site is intended to be an educational and not-for-profit website providing useful information for security, environmental, health, sciences, transportation, and public safety professionals and the general public. It is not “for the purpose of trade, to induce the sale of any goods or services.”
In the Webmaster’s opinion, any incidental use of any pictures and graphics, or quoted words on this site is not a violation of any trademark for the any reasons stated above. The webmaster will fully cooperate with any and everyone that believes any section of the site are in violation of fair use.

The use of any and all copyrighted works in the creation of this site is, in the Webmaster’s opinion, protected by 17 USC 107 (see Creative Commons License below). If the owner of a copyrighted work used in the creation of this site believes that 17 USC 107 does not apply to the use of their work, the site’s creator will cooperate to the fullest extent possible.

FAIR USE NOTE: The site provides information of a general & public nature regarding national or other developments. None of the information contained herein is intended as legal advice or opinions relative to specific matters, facts, situations or issues. Additional facts, information or future developments may affect the subjects addressed in this site. You should consult with an expert about your particular circumstances before acting on any of this information because it may not be applicable to your situation. This site contains information and links to sites which are not owned or maintained by this site. This site is not responsible for the content, linked sites, and the views expressed on linked sites do not necessarily reflect our views or opinions. The information contained herein is provided for personal, non-commercial, educational, entertainment and informational purposes only and does not constitute a guarantee of information or facts. This site makes no claims, expressed, implied, or statutory regarding the accuracy, timeliness, completeness, or correctness of any material contained herein. Since the conditions of use are outside my control, the individual visitor is entirely responsible for determining the appropriateness and applicability of all information contained herein.

This website is licensed under a Creative Commons License.
Back to Top