Davies of Autodeals of Stroud has been fined £3,600 and ordered to pay £5,329.50 in costs, plus a £190 victim surcharge, totalling £9,119.50, after a customer suffered a serious fall at his premises.
The incident occurred when a visitor opened a car boot, causing him to fall backwards over an unprotected 6ft drop. The fall resulted in a severe neck injury, significantly impacting the victim’s mobility.
Gloucestershire Magistrates Court heard that the injury had been life-changing for the victim. He consented to the release of CCTV footage of the fall to highlight the importance of workplace health and safety.
The court was told that a fence should have been in place to prevent the fall. Railings have since been installed at the car dealership in Stratford Road, Paganhill.
Davies pleaded guilty to failing to ensure the safety of visitors to his premises.
Stroud District Council’s Health and Safety Officer, David Peacock, stated that the victim’s injuries were entirely foreseeable. He emphasised the importance of conducting thorough risk assessments to identify hazards to the public, visitors, and employees.
Chloe Turner, Chair of SDC’s Environment Committee, described the incident as avoidable and praised the council’s health and safety officers for their investigation.
Source: MK Citizen