Q) What do Fred Flintstone, Neil Armstrong and Sir Lancelot have in common?
A) They all wore protective clothing.
Fred Flintstone wore leopard-skin, Neil Armstrong wore a spacesuit and Sir Lancelot was the original knight in shining armour.
Protective clothing has been around since the year dot. Today it’s mandatory on agricultural, industrial and construction sites. It hasn’t always been compulsory, though.
Back in the 1940s, the number of fatal accidents among agricultural workers using pesticides was escalating. Concerned, the government set up numerous committees to research safety issues regarding poisonous chemicals.
Many were chaired by their chief scientific advisor, Professor Solly Zuckerman, who made many recommendations relating to the safety of agricultural workers and the safe handling of chemicals.
These guidelines were to be voluntary, not mandatory. It wasn’t until 1952 that an Act was finally passed, making them statutory.
The story goes that three farm labourers called into their local pub for their usual after-work pint. Solly Zuckerman happened to be there. One of the trio wiped his mouth with the back of his hand and within minutes was dead.
It transpired that they’d been handling poisonous pesticides without gloves or protective clothing. This spurred Zuckerman to introduce regulations for mandatory protective wear.
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