Signs removed for health and safety reasons
Health and Safety officials sparked controversy in Somerset when they removed signs that promoted a summer activity in a local village. The organisers of the event were told to remove the placard, which was three feet square. Villagers were angered over the requested removal, saying it was definitely not a health and safety issue. The placard is a part of the tradition that has gone on for over a hundred years involving the fete. Organisers in Somerset for the Blagdon Hill Fete had to remove two placards for the event advertising because of a council officer’s ruling that ‘someone might bump into the signs.’ The boards are similar in size to real estate boards and it is not the first time they have been used, yet this year the officials stated health and safety concerns.
The placards were placed in front of a tree opposite a playing field in the grass. Other villagers near Taunton also said the signs being removed were completely ridiculous. The signs were visible and did not cause harm to anyone. Rosemary Hannam who is a chairman of Pitminster and the playing field committee member stated that she was told ‘there was a danger of someone bumping into the sign in the dark.’
Most locals believe that it is over the top because real estate signs, which could also be walked into during the night, can be put up around homes. Therefore, the residents feel that a sign near a tree that isn’t on the field should not be considered a safety issue.
