Education Sector
Exploding Blu-Tack health and safety myth debunked
Health & Safety update 20/06/2012
A school’s claim that Blu-Tack stuck to windows could make the
glass explode has been debunked by the Health and Safety Executive
(HSE).
The unidentified school in Perth and Kinross, in Scotland, had
told its pupils that they could not stick work to classroom windows
with the blue adhesive, as “a chemical in the Blu-Tack may combine
with a chemical in the glass to make it shatter” and it posed a
health and safety risk.
The HSE’s Myth Busters Challenge Panel has said that this is not
true and told the school not to implement any such ban on health
and safety grounds.
The bizarre piece of bureaucracy came to light as one of 28
health and safety ‘myths’ that were disproven during the first two
months of the panel’s existence. It was originally set up to
examine decisions where health and safety regulations are applied
inappropriately as excuses to stop activities going ahead.
An HSE spokesman said, “Whatever the reason for banning
Blu-Tack, it is not on health and safety grounds.
“The manufacturer’s website makes clear that the product can be
used on glass. We see no reason why the children’s creative work
should not be displayed for everyone to enjoy.”
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