It's not the elf and safety that's gone mad, it's bloody people!
At 0-5s parent and child group and everyone sits in a circle at the end for quick catch up from the children's centre staff etc. the final notice is:
" When everyone is having tea/coffee, please can you drink it in the (absurdly tiny) kitchen (away from your children) instead of in the main hall (even though there are tables and high places to rest your drink) "JUST IN CASE" one you accidentally spills in on someone else's child or parent and then sues the children's centre...
[sceptical]
in what world would someone have to be that money grabbing and legally obsessed to try and sue a children's centre for a mistake made by a parent using its services against another parent (or child)?
or, (as I suspect) is yet another person deciding that it's "better to be safe than sorry" and adopting possibly the most ill thought through and more irresponsible solution to a non-problem, that would have no legal or insurance basis in event of an accident anyway.
Who is telling people they need to make up these rules, or worse, why are we so quick to make them up ourselves, even when they don't or can't be legally applied?
Why is the presumption that everyone is reckless and irresponsible, or that everyone wants to sue everyone else?
Shouldn't it be the case that unless it is an activity or venue that has obvious risks i.e a coal mine or abseiling, that we all need to grow up and accept that people will try to make the activity or the venue fit for purpose, rather than apply health and safety notices to cups of coffee?
When I run a coffee morning, I'm just going to stick a sign up...
"by entering these premises, you agree to take responsibility for yourself and your children. Enter at your own risk."
As disclaimers go... that sounds a little more like it.
or AIBU?