The government was accused of rank hypocrisy yesterday after it hit out at "potty" health and safety myths even as it slashes life-saving regulations.

Health and Safety Minister Mike Penning urged people to "shop a Scrooge" if they find anyone using bogus health and safety myths over the Christmas period.

He said the public should make a stand against "potty excuses."

He added: "My message to anyone thinking of making up an excuse in the name of health and safety is - use your common sense.

"Health and safety regulations save lives and are not there to hamper innocuous activities - bogus excuses give them a bad name."

And Health and Safety Executive chairwoman Judith Hackitt urged anyone "hiding behind health and safety as an excuse for an unpopular decision" to "come clean" about the real reasons.

But workplace safety campaigners slated the government's bid to denigrate health and safety, branding the minister's comments arrant "nonsense."

Hazards Campaign spokeswoman Hilda Palmer said: "It is not surprising but shocking nevertheless that the HSE - an organisation charged with preventing injury, illness and death of workers at work - is urging the public to report minor, trivial misuses of health and safety as an excuse when it doesn't kill, hurt or make anyone ill.

"To focus on this at Christmas when workers are exposed to real risks to their health and lives - stress, over work, long hours, shift work, violence and aggression, musculo-skeletal injuries and being forced to do more than is possible safely - all to keep the customer happy, is a Scrooge special Christmas present to workers."

She said Con-Dem ministers had forced the HSE to slash the number and types of injuries bosses have to report.

"This nonsense from Mike Penning and HSE is bleaker than a Christmas carol as there is no happy ending for workers."