Health & Safety Myths – Teachers & Plasters

The myth:

Teachers can’t put plasters on children’s cuts.

The truth:

• This is a myth that has become overblown and causes much confusion in the workplace- apparently; teachers with pupils that have a minor graze must ask permission from parents before cleaning and covering the wound.
• There is no law that says a responsible person cannot put a plaster on a child that is not their own.
• The confusion may lie in the fact that some people are allergic to plasters. If you know a child is allergic to plasters, use a hypoallergenic one.
• This sort of begs the question: why not only have hypoallergenic plasters for use in schools?
• One can only hazard a guess at the origins of this myth: a singular school having a bad experience with a pupil- killing them by applying a plaster incorrectly, the common fear of paedophiles, or most likely the school’s fear of being sued by an unruly parent.