It wouldn't be Christmas without at least one farcical health and safety story. Previous Decembers have seen pantomime actors banned from throwing sweets into the audience and carol singers ordered to apply for permits; this year, attentions have turned towards Brighton, and the city's traditional Christmas Day swim.
According to a number of reports - most notably this one from Mail Online - Brighton and Hove City Council will be closing the beach on Christmas Day to prevent revellers from entering the water. According to the Mail, this move was sparked by two separate incidents:
- Back in October, an "experienced male swimmer" had to be rescued by the lifeguard after experiencing some difficulty.
- Christmas 2011 saw the rescue of another male swimmer during the Christmas Day swim itself.
Now, on the face of it, this ban may seem like an absurd overreaction (that's certainly how the Mail are portraying it). However...
- People have died in Christmas swims. Somewhat further down the page, that Mail article mentions a woman who died during "a similar swim in Hastings".
- Lifeguards don't work on Christmas Day. And nor should they be expected to! While the local swimming club do their part to ensure that everyone stays safe during the swim, the club's sea swimming coach has admitted that they do not have the capacity to oversee "4,000 ridiculous people in costumes...throwing themselves in the sea after drinking alcohol".
- Sea swimming is dangerous. Even strong swimmers have to be careful in the ocean, where the current can change at the drop of a hat. Moreover, hypothermia is a big concern at this time of year, especially with so many swimmers entering the water without wetsuits.
- Even one incident is too many. The Mail article opens with the following headline: "Brighton bans traditional Christmas Day dip because of health and safety fears after just TWO swimmers got into difficulty". It is slightly alarming to think that two incidents is not enough, especailly given that similar incidents have proved fatal elsewhere. How many people would have to drown before this ban ceased to be risible? Clearly, if even one life is at risk, then Brighton and Hove City Council have done the right thing.
While the aforementioned pantomime/caroling bans were rightfully dismissed - even by the HSE itself - it seems that this swimming ban has been put in place for a very good reason.
Further Reading: 5 Safety Tips for Christmas
