Originally posted at http://www.safetymedia.co.uk/
HEALTH AND SAFETY IN THE STAR WARS UNIVERSE
This just proves that you always need to be Health and Safety compliant, even if you’re residing in a galaxy far, far away.
Since the big reveal of the new Star Wars trailer for the upcoming The Force Awakens, the internet has been ablaze with frenetic fan discussion, both positive and negative. One of the most widely discussed aspects from the teaser was not the plot itself or what fans can expect, but rather about the health and safety implications of the villain’s lightsaber.
Thanks to a crossguard design which immediately looks more of an aesthetic choice than a practical one, Kylo Ren’s unique lightsaber has been the subject of plenty of debate. Many commenters believe that it would actually be a danger to the wielder as one false move could result in the loss of a hand – hardly good for the health of Sith Lords. The new design was a meme almost as soon as the trailer had aired.
Whether or not the lightsaber is practical or not, one thing is clear – Rylo Ken’s ominous cloak is definitely not a suitable example of PPE.
However, you could argue that there are just as many benefits for opting for a crossguard from a health and safety perspective. If Luke Skywalker had used one during his climactic battle with Darth Vader in the Empire Strikes Back, he might have walked away from it with both his hands intact.
This isn’t the only case of negligence for health and safety professionals to flinch over in the Star Wars universe. General Grievous’ array of lightsabers might look cool, but one false move and he could very easily have lost one of his many arms. There’s very little chance he would pass a risk assessment and his chronic cough suggests that all the effort is making him deeply ill.
You could also point to the climactic battle in Revenge of the Sith between Anakin Skywalker and Obi-Wan Kenobi as a blatant disregard for health and safety regulations. Environmental awareness was sadly not at the forefront of their thinking when they battled above lava – imagine the amount of accident reporting that will have been necessary from that.
Even earlier in the series, the choices of the characters were questionable. When Luke Skywalker and company fell into the Death Star garbage compactor, they could have been exposed to harmful materials and then posed a hazard to those they came in contact with.
Let’s hope that the citizens of the galaxy take some precautions ahead of the release of The Force Awakens in late 2015.
Image from screenrant.com