Has the idea of health and safety been taken a step too far? Recent changes to the law, aimed at improving the quality of working environments, can be seen to have a detrimental effect. For example, firemen are no longer allowed to use a fireman's pole as this has been noted to cause injury. However, statistics suggest that such injuries amount to a total of 0.02% of all injuries received by fire-fighters. In comparison, up to 40% of injuries received by fire-fighters are in the form of bruises, cuts and wounds received at the scene. Such health and safety initiatives can also be seen in other professions. Teachers today are less likely to organise school trips than in previous years, due to the strict nature of health and safety laws. Such laws make it possible for students who are injured during a trip to hold the staff liable.