Canvey Island school bans triangle shaped flapjacks

[wintonian]

Canvey Island school bans triangle shaped flapjacks

A school's decision to ban triangular flapjacks after a pupil was hurt has been labelled "half-baked" by the Health and Safety Executive.

It follows an incident at Castle View School in Canvey Island, Essex, when a boy was hit in the face by a flapjack.

Catering staff at the school have been told only to serve square or rectangular flapjacks.

The school said the "isolated accident" had led to a review of "the texture and shape of the flapjacks" provided.

'Over the top'

A spokesman for the Health and Safety Executive said: "We often come across half-baked decisions taken in the name of health and safety, but this one takes the biscuit.

"The real issue isn't what shape the flapjacks are, but the fact that pupils are throwing them at each other - and that's a matter of discipline, and has got nothing to do with health and safety as we know it.

"We're happy to make clear that flapjacks of all shapes and sizes continue to have our full backing."

Health and safety advisor Ray Hurst said he could not understand why triangular flapjacks had been banned, but not those cut into squares or rectangles.

"Anything that is thrown is likely to cause injury if it hits somebody, especially in the face or the eye," said Mr Hurst, former president of the Institution of Occupational Safety and Health.

"It does seem a little over the top to ban triangular flapjacks," he said.

Essex County Council said it did not give schools guidance on the shapes of foodstuffs.

BBC

I've highlighted part of the comments by the very astute H&S people - if only the school demonstrated similar levels of intellect.

 

[tbtc]

I kind of feel sorry for the school as you know that some angry parent has insisted that "something must be done" (to protect their poor offspring from future flapjack-based-injury).

But good on the Health and Safety Executive for their press release - all too often people hide behind H&S as an excuse not to do something - I'm glad to see that the Health and Safety people are being more proactive in dismissing some of the flimsier excuses being used in the name of H&S - they'll hopefully improve the reputation of it.

 

[Zamracene749]

Hmmm.
Toblerones, doritos, samosas, and the green ones out of quality street next on the list?

 

[Class172]

First it's triangles banned; before we know it circular food-stuffs will also be banned for their uncanny ability to be thrown like frisbees. *compares wagonwheel to Oddjob's hat out of Goldfinger*

 

[SS4]

I kind of feel sorry for the school as you know that some angry parent has insisted that "something must be done" (to protect their poor offspring from future flapjack-based-injury).

Undoubtedly. I'd also add that it was probably on threat of being sued that they did remove them to boot.

But good on the Health and Safety Executive for their press release - all too often people hide behind H&S as an excuse not to do something - I'm glad to see that the Health and Safety people are being more proactive in dismissing some of the flimsier excuses being used in the name of H&S - they'll hopefully improve the reputation of it.

Pity the reasonable and accurate reply from the HSE will be completely ignored in favour of hysteria. Although of course hysteria sells papers and generated page views so it's in the media's best interest to foster hysteria and to incite anger. :roll:


Perhaps it's a secret maths lesson for a rectangle, if bisected, forms two triangles . Although a flap jack hard enough to cause injury is not suitable for eating anyway.

 

[luke_oliver]

Haven't they just added an extra "hazardous" corner by moving from a triangle to a square? Lol.

 

[Tomonthetrain]

Health and Safety? It just takes the (rectangular) biscuit!


Anyway I found this which I think is appropriate

The Death of Common Sense http://www.woodwardenglish.com/death-of-common-sense-obituary/

Today we mourn the passing of a beloved old friend, Common Sense, who has been with us for many years.
No one knows for sure how old he was, since his birth records were long ago lost in bureaucratic red tape.
He will be remembered as having cultivated such valuable lessons as:
Knowing when to come in out of the rain;
Why the early bird gets the worm;
Life isn’t always fair,
and maybe it was my fault.

Common sense lived by simple, sound financial policies (don’t spend more than you can earn) and reliable strategies (adults are in charge not children).

His health began to deteriorate rapidly when well intentioned but overbearing regulations were set in place. Reports of an 8 year old boy charged with sexual harassment for kissing a classmate, teens suspended from school for using mouthwash after lunch, and a teacher fired for reprimanding an unruly student, only worsened his condition.

Common sense lost ground when parents attacked teachers for doing the job they themselves had failed to do in disciplining their unruly children. It declined even further when schools were required to get parental consent to administer sun lotion or an aspirin to a student, but could not inform parents when a student became pregnant and wanted to have an abortion.

Common sense lost the will to live as the churches became businesses, and criminals received better treatment than their victims. Common sense took a beating when you couldn’t defend yourself from a burglar in your own home and the burglar could sue you for assault.

Common sense finally gave up the will to live, after a women failed to realize that a steaming cup of coffee was hot. She spilled a little in her lap, and was promptly awarded a huge settlement.

Common sense was preceded in death, by

His parents, truth and trust
His wife, discretion
His daughter, Responsibility
His son, reason.

He is survived by his 4 stepbrothers
I know my rights
I want my rights
I want it now
I’m a victim.

Not many attended his funeral because so few realized he was gone.

 

[yorksrob]

I seem to remember various fellow pupils making ninja stars in metal work at my secondary school, one of which ended up embedded in the wooden wall about a foot to the left of my ear. If triangular flapjacks are the current classroom threat, then things have improved in our schools since the1980's.

 

[flymo]

For some reason when I first heard of this I thought of Monty Python.

Anyway re triangular flapjacks and in Viz Top Ten Tips style:

Essex Schools; Cover all triangular flapjack and other snacks in a delicious thick milk chocolate coating to act as a 'crumple zone' and prevent serious ariborne snack based injury.

 

[Xenophon PCDGS]

I see that dining room discipline has not improved overmuch in the 50 plus years when I attended Secondary School..:roll:

 

[Karl]

I blame pythagoras!!

The square on the hypotenuse is equal to the area of the sum of the other two sides (Or something similar?)

 

[Mojo]

Where does one get triangular flapjacks from anyway? I've only ever seen rectangular or square ones.

 

[12CSVT]

Were 'Travellers Fare' flapjacks triangular ?

 

[Karl]

I love it!! Triangulation is result of circular tins to bake our biscuits in

I loved them baked in the oblong trays. Much easier!

 

[wintonian]

Anyway I found this which I think is appropriate

The Death of Common Sense http://www.woodwardenglish.com/death-of-common-sense-obituary/

Good find - I'm sure I've come across it before somewhere.

I seem to remember various fellow pupils making ninja stars in metal work at my secondary school, one of which ended up embedded in the wooden wall about a foot to the left of my ear. If triangular flapjacks are the current classroom threat, then things have improved in our schools since the1980's.

Well I remember at least two trips to the local hospital involved; 1, a flying saucer or side plate and a split forehead and, 2, wood working lathe, a thumb (which was shorter afterwards) and an amount of blood. No one suggested we should ban these lethal things (that I know off).

Where does one get triangular flapjacks from anyway? I've only ever seen rectangular or square ones.

Answered in #5

Perhaps it's a secret maths lesson for a rectangle, if bisected, forms two triangles . Although a flap jack hard enough to cause injury is not suitable for eating anyway.

 

[tsr]

This reminds me of the (possibly mythical) case of a French school banning bread rolls at dinner tables in schools because they only ended up getting thrown around. Some parents refused to send their children to school until they had the freedom of choice returned to them (i.e. the freedom to throw or not throw a bread roll). Therefore, rolls were returned, and they continued to be aimed at things other than mouths.

Europe is always the exact opposite!

 

[Geezertronic]

They will either issue directives on how they should be eaten or stop people from eating them altogether just incase the square turns into a triangle due to the way it has been bitten into :roll:

 

[43021HST]

Hmmm.
Toblerones, doritos, samosas, and the green ones out of quality street next on the list?

Toblerone's as addictive as heroin, (according to Alan Partridge) and now as dangerous as a weapon, they really should be made illegal.

 

[CatfordCat]

I was quite disappointed that this decision did not follow extensive work at the HSE testing the aerodynamic properties, and potential to cause injuries, of respective shapes of flapjack...

 

[deltic1989]

Hmmm.
Toblerones, doritos, samosas, and the green ones out of quality street next on the list?

Toblerone's as addictive as heroin, (according to Alan Partridge) and now as dangerous as a weapon, they really should be made illegal.

I direct the Honourable Gentlemen to Billy Connolly who will further strengthen your case for the outlawing of Toblerones. (CAUTION: Very strong language and Swiss based racism)

Seriously though. Is this school having a laugh?? When I was at school there were far more dangerous things flying around the classroom than triangular flapjacks. Compasses, pencils and the odd Tampax (don't ask ), what are they going to do ban those too?
If Parents want to mollycoddle their children to the point that the shape of their lunch is dictated by their Head Teacher (I'm assuming that Parents are behind this somewhere). Then how are they going to be fully prepared for the world of work where (at least at some places i have worked) airborne snacks are a daily occurrence.

I would never accept someone telling me that my kids lunch has to be a certain shape. Knowing me I would cut their flapjacks into the shape of a rather obscene hand gesture, and send them to school with a note instructing the head master where he could shove his certain shapes, and offering assistance if he was unsure how to do it.

 

[Statto]

I direct the Honourable Gentlemen to Billy Connolly who will further strengthen your case for the outlawing of Toblerones. (CAUTION: Very strong language and Swiss based racism)

Seriously though. Is this school having a laugh?? When I was at school there were far more dangerous things flying around the classroom than triangular flapjacks. Compasses, pencils and the odd Tampax (don't ask ), what are they going to do ban those too?
If Parents want to mollycoddle their children to the point that the shape of their lunch is dictated by their Head Teacher (I'm assuming that Parents are behind this somewhere). Then how are they going to be fully prepared for the world of work where (at least at some places i have worked) airborne snacks are a daily occurrence.

I would never accept someone telling me that my kids lunch has to be a certain shape. Knowing me I would cut their flapjacks into the shape of a rather obscene hand gesture, and send them to school with a note instructing the head master where he could shove his certain shapes, and offering assistance if he was unsure how to do it.

Lol, the first thing came to my head was Billy Connolly thoughts on Toblerones.

In a way Lunch is already dictated by Head Teachers in some Schools with Health Food policy.

 

[swj99]

I'm so relieved to know that if I go to Canvey Island I won't be stabbed to death by children armed with cake.

 

[12CSVT]

I think you should be more worried by people armed with fresh fruit.

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