It’s beginning to look a lot like Christmas, but at Santa’s workshop, the elves face a smorgasbord of health & safety hazards that constitute unsafe working conditions, and could land the big man in hot water.
From the worrying proximity of unruly reindeer to the crippling cold of Arctic temperatures, our professional opinion is that this magical round-the-clock operation simply wouldn’t pass a real-world inspection. You might not believe in Saint Nick, but that’s no reason not to believe in stringent safeguarding measures designed to keep everyone safe – even in the North Pole.
In this seasonally scandalous exposé, we’ll uncover six of Father Christmas’s worst offences that might be putting presents under trees and smiles on faces; but are also putting the health, safety and wellbeing of his employees at risk.
We’ve made the list, we’ve checked it twice, and now it’s time to share it with the world.
Risk number 1: Sleep deprivation
Make no mistake: designing, producing, marketing and delivering every single toy in the world is a 24/7, 365-day operation. Ordinarily, fulfilling high-volume international orders would require rotating shift patterns and plenty of healthy cooperation, but these are not ordinary times; there is a significant shortage of skilled workers within the manufacturing industry, and the world’s population isn’t getting any smaller.
As a result, we believe Santa is breaching the Working Time Regulations 1998, a legal document that says how many hours an employee can be contractually obligated to work (unless they choose to opt out). The legislation also defines a worker’s holiday entitlement and right to rest. Most employers recognise that the Working Time Regulations 1998 is an important piece of legislation that prevents employee fatigue and, therefore, avoidable accidents, but according to Santa ‘tis the season to be jolly tired.
Risk number 2: Slips, trips and falls
According to the UK government, slips and trips are – far and away – the biggest contributor to major injury in the workplace, accounting for almost a third of all non-fatal injuries reported between 2022 and 2023. In Santa’s workshop, anyone absent-mindedly walking in a winter wonderland could find themselves tripping or slipping over any number of things including trailing fairy lights, spilt hot chocolate, glitter, disregarded wrapping paper, scattered toy parts and even themes-elves.
With so much hustle and bustle to hit the annual December deadline, it is no wonder that the place becomes a little untidy – even messy. That being said, as the employer, Kris Kringle Ltd is responsible for ensuring safe working conditions for his staff in accordance with the Health and Safety at Work Act 1974.
To properly comply with the act, Santa should take proactive steps to reduce (and, where possible, eliminate) any chance of trips, slips and falls. That might include regular cleaning schedules to remove any hazards, a robust system of reporting incidents, clear, unambiguous signage to highlight areas of danger, the provision of non-slip footwear for the elves, and frequently conducted risk assessments.
If he follows those simple steps, Santa can deck the halls and clear the floors.
Risk number 3: The presence of horned (magical) animals
Christmas is a team effort. Without his reindeer, Santa’s present-delivery service would be severely restricted, able to serve only the North Pole, an unpopulated mythical place in the depths of the Arctic’s icy tundra. In short, it would be as disappointing as a cracker with no bang. Rudolph, Blitzen, Dasher, Dancer, Cupid, Prancer, Vixen, Comet, and Donner might be invaluable components of the festive task force, but they also pose big health and safety concerns.
Firstly, these reindeer might be magical, but they are still large, unpredictable creatures with hazardous horns. Under the Manual Handling Operations Regulations 1992, Santa and his fellow senior leadership team have a duty to assess risks when dealing with heavy loads – such as harnessing a team of excited reindeer who are itching to climb into the sky and circumnavigate the globe. All in one night.
Additionally, the Control of Substances Hazardous to Health (COSHH) Regulations 2002 would frown on the unhygienic consequences of improperly dealt-with droppings from these animals. We can’t imagine they smell particularly magical.
Risk number 4: Cold temperatures
Even with the best efforts of climate change, the North Pole is a very cold place, averaging a December temperature of 17.2°C. The workshop is supposedly brimming with Christmas cheer, but it’s unlikely to be brimming with modern insulation or cutting-edge heating (after all, the tradition of Christmas – and the workshop – goes back a very long time). At best, we’re talking shivers and chilblains; at worst, the elves could be experiencing frostbite and hyperthermia.
Here in the UK, in our comparatively tropical climate, there is no legal minimum or maximum temperatures that an employer has to ensure for their employees. That being said, according to the Workplace (Health, Safety and Welfare) Regulations 1992, indoor workplaces – like Santa’s workshop – must maintain a reasonable temperature, with 16°C being given as a guideline.
Low temperatures don’t just lead to health concerns and a sense of discomfort; prolonged exposure to extreme cold can lead to reduced dexterity, slower reaction times, and increased risk of injury, turning even the simplest tasks into potential hazards. If Santa wants to remain on his very own ‘nice list’, he should take steps to bring his workshop up to date.
Risk number 5: Poor ergonomics in the production line
By their very nature, production lines, no matter how fun the end product is, are always repetitive. In Santa’s workshop, the elves’ tasks likely involve endless hours of assembling, painting, hammering and wrapping toys at a pace that even the most advanced factory robots would struggle to keep pace with. Repetition, combined with poorly designed workstations, can lead to a host of musculoskeletal disorders (MSDs), such as back pain, carpal tunnel syndrome, and chronic strain injuries.
To fix this, we need to return to our old friend, the Manual Handling Operations Regulations 1992. Outlined within this piece of legislation, employers must reduce any risk of injury from repetitive or awkward movements by assessing tasks and adapting the workplace accordingly.
Ergonomic adjustments such as custom-height tables, cushioned mats for standing, and more supportive seating could help alleviate the toll on the elves’ bodies. Additionally, regular break times to stretch and move around would reduce the impact of hours spent hunched over toy parts. If Santa had the budget, which we are almost certain he does, he could invite the elves to manual handling training, demonstrating the proper technique to fulfil their role and avoid aches and pains.
If Santa follows our advice, he can have a ho-ho-ho-filled Christmas rather than one filled with groans from his staff.
Risk number 6: Fire hazards
We all enjoy the warm glow of Christmas, but not when that warm glow is literal fire. Filled with wrapping paper, wooden toys, tinsel and other flammable materials, it would just take one spark from the roaring fire or a candle being tipped over in the festive excitement for the whole place to go up in smoke – turning the cosy workshop into a dangerous inferno. Does Santa care? Stuffed with mince pies and pickled in sherry, our guess is probably not.
But he should care. After all, he could be breaching the obligations outlined in the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005. That particular piece of legislation requires all workplaces to have fire safety measures in place, including communicated escape routes, regular fire drills, functional fire extinguishers and plenty of clearly displayed signage. But it’s not just a case of putting some signs up and installing fire extinguishers. Training should also be issued and a dedicated fire officer should be appointed to keep all of the elves safe.
Located far away from civilisation, Santa Claus believes he can escape health & safety scrutiny. He’s wrong. We are pleased to have lifted the lid on his questionable practices and hope that our additional guidance makes him see the error of his ways. If not, we know a man and three ghosts who can help…