From confronting violent attackers to dealing with drug-related crime, police officers face any number of life-threatening situations.
But it seems Scotland Yard has identified one more – PowerPoint presentations.
The force has issued guidance banning loud noises during presentations, in case they trigger a heart attack.
It says that ‘loud noises can cause an unsuspecting reader with heart problems to suffer an attack’, adding: ‘Images that spin or flash, or animations, can increase the possibility of sufferers of epilepsy having an attack and must not be used.’
The 34-page document was drawn up by MetBats – the Metropolitan Police’s Briefing and Tasking System – for officers, supervisors and response teams.
Toby Young, founder of the Free Speech Union, said: ‘You’d think someone with such a weak heart that a loud noise can trigger cardiac arrest would avoid Scotland Yard altogether.’
MetBats – the Metropolitan Police’s Briefing and Tasking System has issued guidance banning loud noises during presentations, in case they trigger a heart attack
When The Mail on Sunday asked whether the advice on heart attacks was appropriate for a force tasked with racing around to protect the public in stressful circumstances, a Met spokesman said: ‘These presentations are for staff across an organisation of 50,000 who work within different roles.
‘This advice is for consideration to those who may not deal with the scenarios mentioned.’
Perhaps chiefs are anxious to avoid further accidents. A Freedom of Information request revealed the Met reported nearly 6,000 accidents at work in a year, one of which was from ‘exposure to noise’.
