I was dismayed to read that a 14 year old school boy fell approximately 4 metres in height from a climbing wall suffering injury.
This accident was largely due to an inadequate safety management system put in place by Manningtree High School, who had a duty of care for the pupil’s safety whilst in their charge.
The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) criticised the Essex based school for allowing the activity to take place which resulted in an injury that required an operation and saw the boy on crutches for more than 14 weeks, from which he is still recovering.
The school apologised and admitted a breach of health and safety regulations and received a fine of £9,000 at Colchester Magistrates’ Court. The head teacher has confirmed that the school will be working with the HSE to make improvements before any climbing activities resume.
As a parent myself, it is of paramount importance that our children are kept safe whilst in the charge of another person or establishment, and this unfortunate incident only highlights the need to comply with all health and safety regulations that are set.
By Barry Sutton
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