Why health and safety matters

I was volunteering this weekend at the Dock2Dock swimming event, checking people as they came towards the ramp, whether they were all tagged up or not. Timing chip, baggage band, tow float, swimming cap and Nowca band. This last item has a bit of medical information on it, and also your details and who to contact. Some people were very reluctant to actually wear the bands and asked why.

You think, I know you forgot it at your bag and you’re keen to get started, but it’s not going to be a lot of fun for anyone pulling you out of the water, having to go get your bag and then supply the medical crew with the details that may make the difference for you then. My fellow volunteer got a bit, ooh, I feel bad about sending them back, but we had to remind each other as to why we were doing this. These people were swimming 20, 10 and 5kms. These are distances that have to be respected.

Meanwhile, I’m sure you’re all aware of the Florida case where a pregnant woman fed her toddler raw milk from Keely Farms, which was tied to 21 cases of E.coli and Campylobacter bacteria. At least six children under 10 were given the milk and then were quite ill. Again, the product was labelled “not for human consumption,” so how it got into the food chain and a health food store, is a matter for the state authorities to investigate. I’m sure that health food store thought it was giving the consumer what they wanted, despite the labelling.

The idea of what you would like to do has to be weighed against the issue of greater public safety, or even your own safety. The labelling is there for a reason, no matter what Instagram or TikTok says. People in the safety and inspection areas are not telling you these things because they’re being killjoys or they want more of whatever for themselves. They want to perhaps keep hospital admissions down.

As the old TV show said, stay safe out there. Wear your tags and read the labels.

• Suzanne Christiansen, editor, Dairy Industries International.
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