date: 9 Dec 2004 embargo: 00.01 10 December 2004

Attention: Industrial and safety correspondents

Office alarm bells ring out for Christmas

TUC and RoSPA guide to safer office parties

As the office party season approaches, RoSPA (the Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents) and the TUC are joining forces today (Friday) with a checklist to ensure employees only hear jingle bells and not alarm bells this Christmas.

It’s always safer to book your office bash at a hotel, bar or restaurant, where facilities are designed for people having a good time. But if like many employers you end up hosting a Christmas do at work, there are risks that people need to be aware of.

The RoSPA/TUC checklist includes suggestions on how to avoid injuries, breakages, fires, food poisoning, and worse. Remember that over Christmas thousands of people will end up in hospital.

Roger Bibbings, RoSPA Occupational Safety Adviser, said: 'We are not being party poopers. Some sensible safety precautions will allow people to have a great office celebration without having to call in the emergency services. Following these guidelines should ensure ‘peace at work, and good times for all staff’.'

Frances O’Grady, TUC Deputy General Secretary, said: 'There won’t be much Christmas cheer in your workplace if your winter wonderland turns out to be a danger zone. Some simple precautions can make sure your party goes off with a bang, instead of a crash.'

Advice from the TUC and RoSPA checklist on how to avoid a festive disaster includes:

· Make sure you and other party organisers know what the late night security arrangements for your office are. Some offices may lock doors and stairwells at night, which could cut off an emergency escape.

· Office furniture isn’t designed to be as sturdy as the furniture in your local pub, so dancing on desks could do them and you a lot of damage. Likewise, the boardroom table is meant for weighty documents, not overweight executives.

· Keep fresh party food in a fridge, and don’t leave it out in a hot office all day. Remember to keep fresh and cooked meats separate. Prawn vol-au-vent poisoning could see half your colleagues off sick until the New Year.

· Definite no-no’s are candles, flaming puddings, and smoking. Office fire alarms are generally placed everywhere and are very sensitive to all smoke, not just fires. Even the jolliest fire brigade isn’t going to be in the Christmas spirit if they’re called to put out a cigarette.

· It might be best to leave out the mistletoe. (and not just because the berries are poisonous). Cases of sexual harassment at parties are often attempted to be excused as 'a bit of fun' rather than a serious workplace issue. If a party is clearly a works party though, it’s likely that any harassment would be covered by sexual harassment at work rules. In any case, behaviour of this sort is unacceptable. The excuse that "everyone else was doing it" is no defence either. Some people may not object, but that does not make it unreasonable for others to do so.

Party planners can download the full checklist at www.worksmart.org.uk/officeparty

Contacts:

TUC : Ben Hurley T: 020 7467 1248; M: 07881 622416 ; E: bhurley@tuc.org.uk

RoSPA: Roger Vincent/Karen Blanchette 0121 248 2134/2135. Mobile 07785 540 349

Press release (600 words) issued 10 Dec 2004