Posted By Kate Graham
Point out that if you didn't play sports you would be at risk of ill-health through lack of exercise!

Kate

Posted By fats van den raad
Peter
You touched a nerve here. I may not be able to give a balanced opinion as I must declare a vested interest in that I am both passionate about ice-hockey (unfortunately too old to play anymore, but still officiate on and off ice) and that I myself partake in what is considered by some as a "dangerous" hobby, i.e. motorcycling.

As far as I am concerned your guy is just as likely to pick up an injury playing football, tennis, or even just work out in the gym. Ice hockey is a contact sport and as such injuries are possible. That is why the rules dictate such an enourmous amount of protective gear.
If we are going to start looking at banning employees from doing things outside work that is considered dangerous, we'll have to ban them from driving, (look at the death toll on the roads), going out at night (record of muggings, attacks, robberies, etc.) or even crossing the road.
I bet your employer still expect people to turn up for work during periods of inclement weather when roads are icy or visibility is low due to fog etc.
My point is that I don't think we can really interfere too much in what employees get up to in there own time. After all they are employees, not property.

Posted By Roger the Dodger
Strikes me as a 'nanny state' policy anyway. I tend to agree with Fats, what sports any employee gets up to outside of his employment is very little to do with your employer. Afterall, the person is not at work etc or owned by the company.

As others have said, sport is not risk free but clearly gives great benefits in terms of exercise etc.

Back to tiddly-winks for me....wearing eye protection just in case I get one in the eye

Posted By Jeffh
I, also have read somewhere, that people who take part in dangerous or extreme sports are far more safety conscientious than most. By taking part in these sports they have a clearer understanding of what is dangerous or hazardous and take extra care and attention.

Posted By Kate Graham
Jeff, that's just natural selection - the ones who aren't safety conscious have already died.

Posted By fats van den raad
Darwinian Theory in practise!!!

(I always wanted to live fast and die young.... well, I've screwed that one up havn't I?)

Posted By Merv Newman
When I was safety manager in the UK we got up a pretty good works squash team. Apart from the dreaded "white spot" which any squash player knows I once had my company supplied safety glasses knocked off by my wife's (you've met her fats, little slip of a girl) racquet. Three stiches in the ear and a lot of leg-pulling the next day. A couple of years later I went for a job interview with my leg in plaster (broken achilles tendon playing squash). You should have seen the interviewer's face when I struggled out of my chair. Got the job.

I gave it up a few years ago ; my wife was beating me every time and I couldn't stand the humiliation.


Work safe-play safe means the same approach for both - know the risks, take appropriate measures and be fit enough to withstand the expected wear and tear.

If asked which sports are really dangerous, I look for the ones where the current world champion had killed his or herself. Hang gliding, parachute jumping, deepsea diving without air etc.. Apart from that, do your own thing. Off the job.

Posted By fats van den raad
Merv
If you really stopped playing coz your missus was constantly beating you, you would have stopped after the third game you played with her!!!!

OK, I think we've sort of agreed that what the employee does outside of work cannot really be (and should not be?) controlled by the bosses at work.

What about this one then:
Fitters in a workshop playing darts during their lunchtime. The Ops manager walks in sees this and has a fit, demanding from the supervisor (one of the players) that the dartboard and all darts be removed from site immediately. His reason "Well Mr. HSE inspector, we actually didn't stop people playing darts on site, that is why Johnny is walking round with a dart in his head!"
Although the fitters are on site, they are technically on their own time as they are off the clock for their 1/2 hour lunchbreak.
Any comments??
(Don't laugh, this really happened!!!)

Posted By Roger the Dodger
And up setting the populaion of Iraq every few years - well at least it's a break from all the parachuting, climbing, diving etc

Oh happy memories...

I used to do some work every now and then, it was a b***** finding time for work

Posted By fats van den raad
Steady on Zoe... you got me all exited there (untill the enormous knickers bit anyway)!!!!

Posted By Dave Cloutman
Pete,

reading your post did make me chuckle a bit, especially when refering to Ice Hockey as a dangerous sport.

I am in the unusual position of being involved both in Health & Safety and also Ice Hockey as a Referee, for over 20 years, during which time i have been in various countries officiating.

Whilst the man on the street sees Hockey as dangerous, it is actually quite different. With the amount of protective equipment available that the players wear, serious injuries are thankfully rare,with the most common injury being pulled muscles through lack of a proper warm up or cool down.

Knowing people who play Hockey as a way of relieving stress i dont see why anyone shouldnt be allowed to participate, as long as they are involved at a level that suits their ability.

If they play with people of the same standard the game if played as intended can be great fun, which shouldnt be restricted by their job.

Didnt mean to go on so long but pass on my good wishes to your work mate as its never nice to see one of the few interested in the sport get hurt.