The London Olympic Games has excelled in safety, with no fatalities during the construction of the Olympic Park. A workforce of 46,000 spent over 80 million man-hours constructing the park and there were only 126 RIDDOR-reportable injury accidents. As construction is one of the most dangerous occupations, this will undoubtedly be welcome news to the Health and Safety Executive (HSE).
However, the praise for health and safety seems to end there, with some spectators complaining about strict restrictions in the Olympic venues. For example, only 100ml of liquid can be taken into any venue, forcing many to spend more on food and drink on-site.
The sailing event has particularly come under scrutiny, as spectators were banned from taking in folding chairs so that they could sit on the grass banks. Ticket-holders were told that fold up chairs and cool boxes were banned, but were encouraged to bring picnic rugs and small snacks instead. A spokesman said, "For health and safety reasons fold-up chairs are not permitted in the Nothe Gardens, which is an exposed and steeply banked site. We were clear about the site specifications at the point of sale. However, we will have limited fixed seating available for those that most require it."
