Legal News

The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) has prosecuted Queen Elizabeth’s Girls’ School in Barnet, north London, after a teacher conducting rigging and adjustments to spotlights and cabling in the school drama studio fell from a stepladder and suffered multiple fractures to the skull, wrist and elbow as a result.

The teacher was working at the school on 9 May 2016 when the incident happened – a fellow teacher present in the room turned to find her colleague had fallen from the ladder and was unconscious on the drama studio floor.

An investigation by the HSE found that Queen Elizabeth’s Girls’ School had inadequately risk assessed work at height in its drama studio – and had failed to provide the teachers conducting the work with sufficient training for work at height, despite this being a requirement of the school’s health and safety policy.

HSE investigators found that there was a health and safety e-learning tool available for teachers and other staff to use, which included a module on work at height – but it was only made mandatory after the incident.

At Westminster Magistrates’ Court, Queen Elizabeth’s Girls’ School – the legal entity controlling the Academy converter school – pleaded guilty to a breach of Regulation 6(3) of The Work at Height Regulations 2005.

The school was fined £2,000 and ordered to pay full prosecution costs.

After the hearing, HSE Inspector John Spence said:

“If the school had conducted a suitable and sufficient risk assessment of the light rigging task – and ensured that employees undertook the appropriate information, training and instruction available – this incident could have been prevented.”

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