A favourite Christmas movie is as much part of the festive season as tinsel or turkey. And while most tend to go for giving their audience a warm fuzzy feeling, they often have at least a little bit of jeopardy in them too.
We decided to watch a few with our health and safety hat on and a mince pie or two, and see how the characters in the films could have enjoyed a “calmer” Christmas, by following some health and safety good practice.
Elf – Workplace transport
Buddy the Elf gets into a fair few scrapes of his own, and we could have singled out drinking in work or lone working for attention, but this time we will focus on the serious issue of workplace transport.
As the movie is reaching its climax, Santa has crashed his sleigh in Central Park. He has lost his engine and explains that there is insufficient Christmas spirit to power the sleigh. They are now going to have to rely on a classic Hollywood ending to get Santa on his way and save Christmas.
If the North Pole was subject to HSE guidance, Santa (or his elf and safety department) would have carried out a workplace transport risk assessment on the sleigh prior to its big moment on Christmas Eve.
He would have identified the faulty engine and hazard of lack of Christmas spirit and put in place measures to manage the risk, like having a back-up power source.
Gremlins – Communicating your risk assessment and safe system of work
Sunlight will kill them. Don’t get them wet. And never, ever feed them after midnight. Gizmo essentially already came with a risk assessment!
Gremlins is a timeless black comedy which sees a small town taken over by hideous little reptiles when a Christmas gift from father to teenage son goes wrong.
It’s not long into the movie before Billy, the protagonist, spills a glass of water over cute little Gizmo; and chaos ensues.
His science teacher leaves a sandwich too close to a mogwai cage over night; a clock runs out of battery at 11:35pm fooling Billy into serving a midnight feast; and the Gremlins take a late-night dip in the town swimming pool, multiplying exponentially. It’s going to be a long night, and not everyone is going to make it to Christmas Day!
This Christmas film really shows what happens when people are careless. All Billy needed to do was pay attention and communicate the risks to everyone involved. Keep food and liquid well away from mogwais at all times of day and night, and maybe check two clocks before serving late-night fried chicken!
Home Alone – Slips, trips and falls… and the rest!
Everyone is familiar with this film, right?
Eight-year-old Kevin has come to terms with being home alone, and he is even well prepared for the burglars that have been staking out his house. Cue a falling iron, a super-heated doorknob, swinging paint tins, a tarantula, and slips, trips and falls… lots of slips, trips and falls.
Health and safety 101 says that slips, trips and falls are the most common cause of workplace injury. Being struck by a moving object, acts of violence and falls from height are also sadly common causes.
If only burglars Harry and Marv, had done a proper risk assessment before they carried out their nefarious “job”. Perhaps they could have brought some grit with them for those slippery outside walkways for starters. Then again, not too many people will shed a tear for them, unless you count tears of laughter.
How the Grinch Stole Christmas – A safe system of work
Whoville is terrorised by a grumpy, green, hairy outcast who has scant regard for health and safety – his or anyone else’s! From getting his hand caught in machinery to burning down a Christmas tree and even acting as his own crash test dummy he breaks every rule in the book before he steals (and then restores) Christmas.
Subject to real world rules, the Grinch is a walking, talking HSE prosecution waiting to happen. What he really needs is to sit down with a health and safety expert and plan a safe system of work before he gets started; that and a thorough reading of fire regs.
Health and safety is not just for Christmas
Although we have had some fun with these films, we know that real-world health and safety is no laughing matter. Our experts work with businesses all over the UK to keep their people safe and protect against the legal risk. If you would like to work with us please get in touch. Whether you work in a mountain lair like the Grinch or somewhere more normal, we will be happy to help.
