Safety Quiz: Don't trip up

Health and Safety: True or False

BBC's Panorama explores Britain's health and safety culture. Can you pick out which of the following are actual examples of the nation's zeal for H&S and which are urban myths?

1.) True or False

A school in England banned children from using egg cartons for crafts, fearing salmonella poisoning.

1. True
   
2. False
   

2.) True or False

School children in England are required to wear goggles while playing conkers.

1. True
   
2. False
   

3.) True or False

A school in Northumberland has banned playground games, including tag.

1. True
   
2. False
   

4.) True or False

One town in England went so far as to ban Santa's traditional sleigh ride through the market town.

1. True
   
2. False
   

5.) True or False

Staying on the Christmas theme, a school in England banned tinsel as a possible health hazard.

1. True
   
2. False
   

6.) True or False

Gravestones in Britain are subjected to a pressure gauge test to see if they might topple.

1. True
   
2. False
   

7.) True or False

Pancake races on Shrove Tuesday have been banned over health and safety fears.

1. True
   
2. False
   

Answers

1. True, but those who would rain on craft enthusiasts' parade were soon chided and realised that so long as the empty egg cartons appeared to be clean, they were safe to use.
2. False. But yet again, one head teacher in Cumbria thought this was a good idea to keep children safe. Others heard about it and banned the game on health and safety grounds.
3. Sad but true. The school felt that some playground games were too rough and banned them on health and safety grounds.
4. Bah humbug! Alnwick in Northumberland cited insurance concerns when it banned Santa's council-owned sleigh from pulling the red-suited fellow through town to kick off festivities.
5. True! In addition to causing litter problems, teachers worried that students might try to strangle one another with strands of tinsel and stood by the ban. Tinsel has also been banned from some hospital wards, citing germ fears.
6. Another example of health and safety "guidance" being interpreted as "rules" by the local councils who spend more than £1.65m a year 'topple-testing'.
7. False, but only just. In 2008, Ripon's annual pancake race was cancelled on health and safety grounds, only to be resurrected this year.

Health and Safety: True or False

0 - 1 : You're an accident waiting to happen

2 - 3 : Steady on with "caution"

4 - 5 : No danger signs on your road of life

Panorama: May Contain Nuts... is on BBC One, Monday, 20 April at 2030 BST.