Posted By Christopher Black http://www.dunfermlinepress.com/articles/1/24919/ The above article covers the problems a young mum faced when she opted to wear swim shorts over her costume. The council official declared that shorts can weigh you down when wet and cause a hazard. I just dont understand how they present a hazard for women and not for men. If i worked in H&S at Fife Council I would be having words at the manager who tried to use H&S concerns to justify their position.

Posted By Chas Are these sort of extreme H&S stories becoming more prevalent or is it just a matter of perception. Have a read of the following HSE research report. http://www.hse.gov.uk/research/rrhtm/rr536.htm

Posted By Andy Petrie If there is a genuine reason for shorts weighing you down when they're wet (only out of the water mind as they're pretty weight neutral when in the water) then surely they should also ban people with long hair as that gets heavy when it's wet. I remember as a child we had to learn to swim in pyjamas so that we knew how to should we fall in water when clothed. I would suggest that wearing shorts in a controlled environment such as a pool is actually a risk reduction measure when considered against the dangers of falling in a river clothed and not being able to swim.

Posted By MickN Reports like these do nothing but tarnish our profession and provide fodder for those who make fun of 'elf 'n' safety. I don't know who can do it but someone needs to challenge these spurious H&S decisions. Perhaps a dedicated wing of IOSH could be set up whereby such nonsense declarations can be publicly challenged/discredited. The problem for me is that this is happening more and more, H&S is becoming the "easy answer" for managers/companies. They want to get something done, but have no good reason for it. In the end the H&S profession becomes a laughing stock and all credibility lost. Where's our safety culture now?...

Posted By mike morland I really don't see the problem here. Swimming pool - swimming costume - appropriate attire. Swimming pool - scarf and gloves - inappropriate attire. Restaurant - smart but casual - appropriate attire. Restaurant - swimming costume - inappropriate attire. Bottom line is - the lady was not wearing shorts designed for swimming in. If you jumped into the pool wearing a shell suit you could expect the same response. Consider all the Health and Safety rules associated with a public swimming pool and then consider where you draw the line - shorts and a tee shirt next perhaps? Pretty standard practice to see children playing in pools abroad with tee shirts on to protect them from the sun but I have also seen men asked to leave the hotel restaurant for sitting at the table with no shirt on and that wasn't to safeguard them from dripping hot soup down a bare torso.

Posted By Kevin Brown Thanks for the advice Bob.My sense of smell is pants but the sensitivity of my eyes more than makes up for it. Regarding wearing the appropriate clothing, the 'board' shorts my teenage son was wearing at a Gloucestershire pool during the last half term break virtually disintegrated while he was in the pool. Only the inner lining preserved his modesty and dignity. Obviously not fit for purpose (nor for that matter porpoise).

Posted By John Richards Having seen the LONG list of infections/infestations that can be contracted in swimming pools and the surrounding area, I have no intention of setting foot (or any other body part) in any of them. Ever.

Posted By Andy Petrie Mike - the non-swim shorts are not appropriate refers to the dress code for men, women are just not allowed to wear shorts be they swimwear or not

Posted By John Richards How about: "look, I'm goin to ban women from wearing those big shorts, they look terribly unattractive in them and I wouldn't let my wife wear any" Why look for the H&S reasoning....try looking for the sexist reason !

Posted By willhiem ha ha good plan, i think we the H & S excuse will run its course soon and we'll be back to the old reliables - sexist reasons and racist ones soon enough, unless of course a new excuse comes up - 'credit crunch' perhaps!!! A mate of mine was doing an access audit of a pool for a LA, they wouldnt let him take photos which is all understandable, but he asked if he could come back and take some after the pool was closed, he was told that no photos were allowed at all and they were sticking to this as it was in their policy!!