Fairground ride owner and independent safety examiner fined after eight injured at Suffolk's big night out

Date:

30 November 2009

Release No:

E40:09

The owner of a faulty fairground ride has been fined £2000 after it collapsed during Suffolk's annual Big Night Out injuring eight people.

And the independent fairground examiner who had given it a clean bill of health must also pay £2000, after pleading guilty to health and safety offences.

Several cars on the Hellraiser ride - a ground-level spinning machine - came loose and crashed into each other shortly before 9pm on Friday, 2 November 2007. Fire-fighters had to free two people trapped by the cars and several others were injured, including three teenagers. A 24-year-old woman was taken to hospital with broken ribs and damage to her spine, among other injuries.

An investigation by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) found the crash was caused by poor maintenance, which should have been spotted by the independent fairground inspector.

Walter Shufflebottom, who owned the Hellraiser ride, appeared for sentencing at Ipswich Crown Court today (Monday 30 November). Independent fairground examiner Frederick Meakin and his company Fairground Inspection Services were also in court. All three had entered guilty pleas at an earlier hearing.

Mr Shufflebottom, of 1 John's Way, South Ockendon, Essex, admitted failing to maintain the ride in good order, breaching Section 3(2) of the Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974. He was fined £2000.

Mr Meakin, of Plot 10, Five Counties Caravan Park, Stretton Road, Leicestershire, admitted failing to carry out an adequate examination of the ride, breaching Section 37 of the same Act, and was fined £2000 with £1000 costs.

Fairground Inspection Services, based at Mr Meakin's address above, also admitted failing to properly examine the ride, in this case a breach of Section 3(1) of the same Act. It must pay a £8000 fine with £1000 costs.

HSE Inspector Martin Kneebone, who led the investigation into the ride's collapse, said:

"This incident could have proved fatal. High standards of maintenance and inspection are absolutely essential to ensure the safe operation of any ride.

"The Hellraiser ride was in a very poor state of repair and should not have been operating at the event. The Big Night Out could have so easily ended in tragedy. Some of the key structural components had deteriorated to such an extent that they were no longer safe and had been inappropriately repaired over a significant period of time. Neither the owner of the ride nor the examiner took appropriate action to remedy this problem, which ultimately resulted in the ride collapsing.

"This incident should remind all amusement ride owners and ride examiners that public safety is of paramount importance."

Notes to editors

1. Section 3(1) of the Health & Safety at Work etc Act 1974 states: "It shall be the duty of every employer to conduct his undertaking in such a way as to ensure, so far as is reasonably practicable, that persons not in his employment who may be affected thereby are not thereby exposed to risk to their health & safety."
2. Section 3(2) of the Health & Safety at Work etc Act 1974 states: "It shall be the duty of every self-employed person to conduct his undertaking in such a way as to ensure, so far as is reasonably practicable, that he and other persons (not being his employees) who may be affected thereby are not exposed to risks to their health or safety."
3. Section 37(1) of the Health & Safety at Work etc Act 1974 states: "Where an offence under any of the relevant statutory provisions committed by a body corporate is proved to have been committed with the consent or connivance of, or to have been attributed to any neglect on the part of, any director, manager, secretary or other similar officer of the body corporate or a person who was purporting to act in any such capacity, he as well as the body corporate shall be guilty of that offence and shall be liable to be proceeded and punished accordingly."
4. All amusement rides are required to have an annual thorough examination by an Appointed Inspection Body registered with ADIPS Ltd (Amusement Device Inspection Procedure Scheme).

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Issued on behalf of the Health and Safety Executive by COI News & PR EAST.