British troops banned from NATO training on grounds of health and safety (28 February 2014)

The Ministry of Defence (MoD) has banned British troops from participating in a training exercise in Norway because of the freezing temperatures they would be operating in.

The ban was imposed to comply with health and safety rules for British troops – even though their peers in NATO took part in the training exercise.

Temperatures at the Allied Training Centre at Porsanger fell to minus 25 degrees and the base’s commanding officer Lieutenant Colonel Trond Thomassen said that British troops could not operate if temperatures fell below minus 20C.

However, he added that cold winter training with NATO meant operating at temperatures of below 8C.

Winter training for the armed forces can include setting up a camp and practising survival techniques such as building a shelter, finding food and cold weather activities such as swimming in icy water.

Leaflet 11 of the MoD Health and Safety Guide covers Safety in Military Training and Exercise and refers to Sections 2, 3, 7, 8 and 36 of the Health and Safety at Work etc Act 1974 – as well as Regulation 3 of the Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations 1999.

The MoD training health and safety guidelines state:

“The military are required to undertake training and exercises that are inherently dangerous, to ensure that personnel are provided with the best possible preparation for the roles they may undertake in times of conflict.

“This leaflet is concerned with assisting commanders with managing the balance between the risks faced and the benefits that may accrue, and indicates how they must integrate risk management into their planning and estimates.

“The need to balance the safe working practices and the safe environment requirements of legislation with the Defence imperative is recognised.

“Hazardous training activities must be managed to ensure that force protection measures are implemented to maintain military fighting power and to ensure that the MOD complies with the law.”

Locals in Porsanger have expressed surprised that British troops have not been allowed to participate in the NATO training exercise because of the weather, however.

A local politician in Porsanger said that the military presence in the region was the “mainstay” of the economy. Ida Katherine Balto added:

“I wonder what the British would do if there was a war in winter.”

The MoD has declined to comment.

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