West Yorkshire School breach Health & Safety at Work Act 1974

A Bradford grammar school has been fined after a PE equipment manager suffered multiple fractures when he fell nine metres from a climbing wall.

Stephen Painter, 30, from Haworth, was just days away from becoming a father when the incident happened at Thornton Grammar School on 3 November 2011. He broke a forearm and elbow, fractured two vertebrae and bit through his tongue.

A prosecution was brought by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) after inspectors identified serious safety failings at the school.

Bradford Magistrates heard that Mr Painter, who looked after resources and equipment in the PE department, had gradually got more involved in helping out with student lessons and had learned the basics of climbing a rigged wall and belaying techniques.

He was working his way up the wall to rig it for a lesson by threading the rope through anchor points. A colleague on the ground was belaying to provide added rope when needed, but minimising the amount of loose rope, which means a slip would only mean a drop of a short distance for the climber.

However, the technique failed and Mr Painter fell during the rigging, hitting the gym floor below. There were no mats or padding and he was not wearing a helmet.

The court was told HSE found the management of the wall and the safety system regarding it was almost none existent; the competence of the staff using it and providing instruction to others was an after-thought and not effectively put in place.

Thornton Grammar School, of Leaventhorpe Lane, Bradford, was fined £5,000 and ordered to pay £7,500 in costs after admitting breaching Section 2(1) of the Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974.

CRS comments “This was a serious incident that could have been prevented. The risks to those engaged in climbing are self-evident but those risks should be addressed in line with available guidance.

The training and development of staff in any situation is paramount in ensuring that everyone stays safe not to mention organisations will then steer clear of breaching the Health & Safety at Work Act 1974” Find out how CRS can help you stay within the law with our complete range of Health, Safety & Environment courses www.crsrisk.com