Three year old child hurt in fairground ride
Date: 22 September 2015
A three year old child suffered a serious injury to his hand when it was caught between the wheels and the track of a children’s fairground train ride.
North Tyneside Magistrates’ Court heard how on the 6 July 2013, the three year old child was visiting the fairground with his grandmother and cousins.
He had been on the bouncy castle and was sitting on the steps of the ‘Mickey Express’ train ride to put on his shoes. While his grandmother was tying his laces he leant back and stretched his arms behind him. The train started up and ran over his fingers. The child’s fingers required surgery and stitches but he made a good recovery.
On Friday 18 September 2015, Jamie Clark, of Serlby Park, was fined a total of £1,000, and ordered to pay £600 in costs after pleading guilty to an offence under Section 3 of the Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974.
The HSE Inspector said:
“This was an entirely preventable accident. The risk of trapping was obvious and should have been identified by the ride operator in his risk assessment. The provision of a fence around the ride was a simple precaution that would have prevented the accident.”
Playground inspector in court after boy seriously injured in swing collapse
Date: 11 September 2015
A playground inspector has been fined after a seven-year-old boy suffered life-threatening head injuries when the rope swing he was playing on collapsed.
The young boy was playing with friends, supervised by an adult, at Cherry Lane Adventure playground on 8 April 2014.
Worthing magistrates heard that the wooden pole of the rope swing he was on broke, hitting him on the head.
He suffered serious head injuries and was airlifted to hospital and has since made a full recovery.
The self-employed inspector accredited by the Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents (ROSPA), was prosecuted by the Health and Safety Executive. He failed to identify the swing was rotting during a number of inspections.
HSE’s investigation found that the inspector described the condition of the swing as ‘excellent’ during an inspection in 2013. Seven weeks before the incident he reported the risk posed by the swing as ‘low’ despite the fact he had raised previous concerns over its stability.
Worthing Magistrates’ Court heard (11 September) that thorough inspections of wooden play equipment are vital to preventing accidents. In this case HSE found the rot was foreseeable, had occurred over a long period of time and should have been spotted by the inspector and reported to the playground operator, Crawley Borough Council.
The inspector, pleaded guilty to breaching Section 3(2) of the Health and Safety at Work etc Act 1974 and was fined £1,120 and ordered to pay costs of £3,600
Cheshire builder in court over absence of welfare facilities
Date: 21 September 2015
A Cheshire building contractor, has been fined for serious health breaches and lack of welfare facilities on a Culcheth building site.
Trafford Magistrates’ Court heard that the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) received a complaint from a member of the public in May 2014 about the conditions on the site where work was being carried out to convert a disused NHS premises.
The HSE investigation found access to the construction site was restricted and a lack of both health and safety provisions and welfare facilities. Workers were entering the building via ladders and planks. Work was stopped whilst scaffolding was arranged and erected to make access to the building safe.
Dust from sandblasting activities was found to be affecting other workers on the site and inadequate protection had been provided. Workers were expected to carry out tasks such as groundworks and bricklaying but were unable to wash their hands to remove any contamination.
An Improvement Notice requiring the provision of sanitary, washing and rest facilities was issued.
On Friday 18 September 2015,the contractor pleaded guilty to breaches of Regulation 22 of the Construction (Design and Management) Regulations 2007 and Regulation 7 of the Control of Substances Hazardous to Health Regulations 2002. He was fined a total £4,000 and ordered to pay costs of £2,495.
Speaking after the hearing the HSE Inspector said: “It is hoped that this case serves as a lesson to all Principal Contractors that they must provide suitable toilets, washing facilities which include hot and cold running water and suitable, sheltered rest facilities for all workers engaged on their sites.”
Visit www.hse.gov.uk for more information