These are difficult times for the noble brassiere. First there was a report by a French, er, scientist who determined that wearing support in no way makes breasts healthier or less prone to sag — going without is just fine. And now comes warning from the Mountaineering Council of Scotland that underwire bras can interfere with compasses, leading to potential fatal navigational mistakes.

In a dramatic, bold-faced blog post riddled with ALLCAPS, the MCS suggests a dire scenario where you’re led to the edge of a cliff by a compass whose polarity have been reversed by magnetic interference. “Imagine if this had been winter and the ground was snow covered; how easy it would have been to walk right over the edge?”

Bras aren’t the only potential culprits, of course — the council also cites “smart phones, magnets hidden inside mobile phone cases, avalanche transceivers, radios, personal locator beacons, GPS, cameras, car keys, small magnets on belt fastenings…” — but they’re certainly the most eye-catching. “It’s a fact,” said the council’s safety office, Heather Morning. “The catalyst for a substantial number of mountain rescue call-outs in the UK is either directly or partially a result of a navigation error.”

Morning did not comment on what she herself wears in the backcountry. But remember, safety first.

Via Mountaineering Council of Scotland, Daily Record