Health & Safety Myths – Wearing goggles for conkers?

The Myth:

Children must wear goggles when playing conkers at school.

The truth:

•    This myth is an old chestnut of the health and safety myths (no pun intended), and is that- nothing more than a myth.

•    HSE has no policies regarding the childhood pastime, yet one teacher, with nothing but the welfare of their pupils in mind, decided that it was for their own good to wear protective clothing whilst playing conkers.

•    This school policy was put in place wrongly ‘in the name of health and safety’. HSE had not passed any regulations on such a policy, it was merely the school hiding under the health and safety monster.

•    However, this myth caused quite a stir amongst many primary schools, with many subsequently banning the game once again ‘because of health and safety’.

•    In reality, the schools were probably fed up of cleaning up the cuts and bruises their pupils ensued (whether or not they thought it too risky to use plasters is open to debate) and banned it because it became a chore for them, not because any legislation required it.