Mysql preventing truncate and drop table statements for a specific table
Consider putting things like that is a separate database.  Then GRANT users access to their database(s) with 'full' permissions (or whatever) and GRANT very limited access to this db:

GRANT SELECT ON Specialdb.* TO ...


If you find you need to let them do something less safe, create a Stored Procedure with security=Definer.  The definer could be root and you can do whatever you want.  However, since you control the proc, you control what things they are allowed to do.