Shrewsbury churchgoers banned from smashing plates
Friday 4th March 2011, 6:32PM GMT.
Churchgoers will have to smash sugar lumps instead of plates at an event in Shrewsbury because of health and safety laws.
The Trinity Group of Churches in Shrewsbury, said it had wanted allow people to break plates and other items at tomorrow’s event.
But it claimed it would have had to carry out risk assessments to do so.
Smashing Things is a free event being held as part of a pre-Lent Quiet Day at the Trinity Centre, Meole Brace, from 10am to 4pm.
Kevin Lawrence, of the Trinity Group, said: “We want people to come in and smash things but unfortunately they will be restricted to sugar lumps because of health and safety.
“We had looked at plates but it would have to involve doing risk assessments. At least no-one will get hurt this way.”
Participants will be given the chance to smash things, but organisers say it will be perfectly safe.
Everybody is welcome to attend and guests are asked to bring a lunch to share.
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Smashing sugar lumps?
I can’t do that, I’m a diabetic.
Completely thoughtless!!!
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Risk assessment is a practical and inexpensive measure used to support the general public in whatever situation.Having been involved with voluntary crockery smashes and such like for the last five years I feel this piece of jornalism is misguided and misleading. When any one undertakes an activity whereby another without routine and prudent assessment and inspection may suffer an avoidable injury the party responsible may be held negligently liable ,and quite rightly so. Is having a secure enclosure for smashing plates and suppling goggles for eye protection to anyone who wants to have some fun smashing crocks so unreasonable? the reality is H&S when applied properly is sensible , when people seek to be obstructive and unreasonable I read articles like this nonsense! I am reminded to quote seek and you shall find……..so stop moaning ,grow up and have some fun.
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The Health and Safety Executive has nothing to do with this decision by the Trinity Group of Churches. There are no health and safety laws that would ban the smashing of plates, just as there are none that prevent children from playing conkers or wearing school ties.
HSE staff spend their time investigating and preventing serious workplace incidents which were responsible for the deaths of 152 workers in Britain last year and serious injuries to many more.
Liz Carridge
Health and Safety Executive
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So not actually anything to do with HSE preventing the event, just that the organisers weren’t interested in doing a risk assessment.
I know that we always have to do risk assessments for any events or activities that we run, they aren’t that difficult to do and it means your insurance won’t disappear if something does go wrong.
Surely it’s better to do that and have a few guidelines in place for the overenthusiastic plate smasher!
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