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As typical seasonal ‘elf and safety stories make headlines this Christmas, IOSH surveyed the British public to find out what modern customs they could live without.
The annual X-Factor single, presents for pets and re-heated sitcoms all made the list of worst Christmas ‘traditions’ in the UK.
Of the 2,000 people questioned in the poll, just under 65 per cent said they would happily put an end to the annual Christmas X-Factor single, which put it at first place on the public hit-list. Christmas adverts on telly in September were voted number two, with e-cards in at number three.
Jane White, IOSH research and information services manager, said: “Clearly there are modern things we do every Christmas that people can’t stand. We could do without the seasonal tradition of people blaming health and safety for banning Xmas fun. Don’t believe a word of it.”
IOSH published the poll to promote the fact that most ‘health and safety gone mad’ stories have nothing to do with health and safety at all.
“Everybody has their own Christmas bugbear, as our survey shows. Mine is Christmas ads on telly too early on in the year,” Miss White said. “But I also can’t stand silly stories of people being prevented from enjoying themselves. It’s not because of health and safety that children can no longer sit on Father Christmas’s lap, as recently reported, or that Santa needs a seatbelt in his sleigh.
“Health and safety isn’t about preventing people from enjoying themselves or ruining festive frivolity, it’s about protecting people from real, significant risk.”
What’s the worst thing about the 21st century Christmas? Have your say in the comment section below
Good to see that people on this site are getting into the spirit as Christmas approaches.
The worst things about Christmas – That the same elf and safety tosh is dragged up every year by IOSH, I’m concerned that IOSH have the time to survey the British public to find out what modern customs they could live without. How about lobbying the Government to prevent a return to the dark ages; pandering to the tiresome elf and safety story providers isn’t going to prevent people from being injured or killed.
Sanctimonious do gooders waving the flag of sweet reasonability as they try to lecture us.
I quite enjoyed the x factor this year, so perhaps it is the season of goodwill after all!
Christmas is very commercial with enourmous amounts of tat and rubbish being bought and consumed – so I prefer to think of the spiritual side of things. All the Best!