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There have been a couple of serious traffic accidents of note where the wearing of identity lanyards around the drivers’ necks has exacerbated the severity of the injuries sustained. This type of accident is fortunately unlikely, however staff, officers and volunteers should be aware of the hazard and how to avoid it. One driver was involved in a minor car accident and was wearing their company lanyard and pass. The car airbag was deployed on impact and the force of the airbag caused the lanyard and pass to be pushed into the driver’s chest, causing a lung to collapse and requiring hospital treatment. Had the person not been wearing their lanyard and pass at the time, they would have most likely walked away relatively unscathed. In another accident, a NHS worker stored a lot of keys on her lanyard for medicine cabinets, lockers etc. She got into her car and was driving home, but did not remove her lanyard. Unfortunately she also had a crash that triggered the airbag. The force of the airbag caused the keys to perforate her bowel; she was in hospital for over 6 weeks and she has been off work now for 6 months. Actions / Key Messages • It is strongly advised that everyone removes their lanyards/ staff passes when leaving the office for both safety and security reasons • More notably, please remember to remove your lanyard whilst driving. Where possible, use breakaway lanyards that will unclip themselves if caught or stuck. Please feel free to share this message with your colleagues and family members.