Health & Safety problem of Olympic proportions

A couple of days ago London had its turn at guiding the Olympic torch onward to Beijing. Despite a few scuffles it made its way safely to France only for Parisian officials to snuff it out themselves. This got me thinking: isn’t the Olympic torch dangerous? The carriers run on what are often wet, uneven, roads holding an open flame.

I headed over to the HSE for guidance and, unsurprisingly, there wasn’t an ‘Olympic Torch Information Sheet’. There was guidance on propane pre-heating torches, but this suggested:

1. A proper risk assessment
2. Wherever possible, use an alternative
3. Correct lighting
4. Routine inspection

Whilst I don’t doubt that 1 and 4 are carried out, what about the others? Would not flying the flame in a locked container from one site to another be a safer alternative than making it take a relay around the world? I’m also unsure that constant camera flash counts as ‘correct lighting’.

I then found an article on mobile catering, however this rather grimly suggested that ‘Appliances and any pilot lights should not be lit while… in motion‘, indeed ‘some vehicles have exploded due to this‘! Things get even more grim as it calls for carbon monoxide alarms.

I thought for one moment that they could get away with claiming that it was all a bit of theatre however, it appears not. Flames used in theatres, it seems, should feature a ‘dead mans handle’ foot pedal, which would make the runners look really very silly.

Perhaps letting celebrities run on slippery streets, holding an over 1000°C flame that doesn’t look like it was designed with grip in mind, that was specifically designed not to go out, passing it from one person to another in an over-elaborate game of pass the parcel isn’t the safest thing in the world for them to be doing. Whilst I’d hate to see anyone get injured, a case based around burning yourself on the Olympic torch would be somewhat uniquely interesting.

Personally I think it’s all good theatre, and I like theatre, but is this best practice of health and safety?  Perhaps not.