Risk assessment for the work Christmas lunch

[HelenInHeels]

The team are going for Christmas lunch next week (and going back to work afterwards). The health and safety manager has asked everyone to read and sign a risk assessment form. Covering things like: alcohol can impair judgement. There may be people fighting so be careful. Be aware of allergies.

I'm speechless.

I mean, I've had to fire people before for Christmas party goings-on and had very stupid complaints - so I imagine they've heard horror stories and are covering their backs 😅

Anything about need for condoms?

They haven't though. I've worked there for years and there's never been anything like that ever.

For a two hour lunch and then back to work?

Anything about the weight of your arse breaking the photocopier?

OP, this is the funniest thread title I've seen in ages, maybe ever. Thank you.

I went s church trip to a seminary. One of the things on that was "members of the grip my act in a way that causes offence to the rest of the group and the seminary community."

We weee all practicing catholics! And at 43 I was the youngest of the group.

We have these done for all outings, including risk of food poisoning etc. An email goes around for drink driving etc…..is this not the norm? 😂

Show that it wasn't useless, OP! Start a fight!

OMG yes OP! Find something not on the list and DO IT!!

They are covering themselves in light of the new duty to protect employees from sexual harassment, a full risk assessment makes sure they aren't liable for any other behaviour that they could be sued over. The Christmas lunch is classed as a workplace venue.

@HelenInHeels "There may be people fighting so be careful."

is this like signing away your right to compensation if someone punches you because the person in front ducked? 😂

I've never seen a photocopier in the pub!

Great idea!

We weee all practicing catholics!

As if that's ever been a guarantee of good behaviour 😆

Well if nobody else is going to, I will…

It’s elf and safety gone mad 😆

I love this!!

But you'll be going back to work after the pub?

Maybe make it a team challenge: how many items can you tick off the list in 2 hours? Sounds awesome.

At an old workplace of mine we had a Christmas party that ended with one person in an ambulance and one person being arrested (unrelated incidents, he wasn't arrested for putting the other guy in an ambulance). Probably could have done with a risk assessment - I'm not sure how much help it would have been though.

Never seen a formal risk assessment, but there have been a few emails going around before events basically reminding people that HR can and will take disciplinary action if certain things were to happen.

Used to be an interesting party game matching the previous year’s shenanigans to whatever the new warnings were.

This did make me chuckle. I've never heard of this happening before.

I've booked a stall at the village hall Christmas Fayre next week. I've been sent the risk assessment which was mostly the usual stuff about trailing extension leads and clear fire exits. But apparently Santa's grotto poses a structural hazard and a risk of major harm 😱.

We always get a memo about acceptable behaviour and last year we had to do bullying and harassment training before ours 😬

what about fire hazard when colleagues perform the naked dance of the flaming arseholes - a real thing in 80s law enforcement! fire up the Quattro Bolly!