When the accident prompted the HSE to issue new guidance for a relatively undeveloped leisure activity
What happened?
A 34 year-old technician was working at the Hollywood Bowl in Barking, East London, at a retail park in July 2006. Mitchells and Butlers Retail Ltd, ran the Hollywood Bowl site.
It is believed that he had been cleaning and servicing the machine that clears the skittles, but had not isolated it. It is thought a bowling ball was thrown down the empty lane, triggering the pin mechanism. While underneath the raised mechanism, it descended on top of him and pinned him to the floor. He suffered serious crush injuries to his chest, and died at the scene.
The accident was un-witnessed, and his body was found trapped underneath the machine by colleagues.
The local council investigation identified that the machine had inadequate guarding. The councillor responsible, said: “Our study discovered that machinery used nationally in bowling alleys did not have adequate safety features and therefore posed a risk to centre staff when carrying out repairs and maintenance. The HSE has, since the accident, issued new guidance to all local authority health and safety enforcement teams and regulators as a result. We hope the outcome of this case will ensure the future safety of all bowling alley technicians.”
In a statement, the company said: “We are deeply sorry for this tragic event and offer our sincerest condolences to the man’s family and friends. At the time of the accident there was no guarding package in use throughout the UK or Europe, nor commercially available on the market. As a result, the first HSE guidance in relation to pin-spotting machinery was issued in 2009 for the benefit of the wider industry and local council environmental health departments.”
Legal Outcome
Mitchells and Butlers Retail Ltd pleaded guilty to breaching s33(1)(a) of the HSWA 1974 and was fined £40,000 in February 2010. In addition to the fine it was ordered to pay £14,838 in costs.
What can we learn from what happened?
The principles of isolating any mechanical operation to allow people to work on them, and ensuring guarding is in place to protect people from exposure to danger is well-established in many working environments (albeit accidents and prosecutions demonstrate that they are sadly not always effective). Indoor bowling was, while not new, relatively undeveloped as a leisure activity until the millennium. This accident illustrates how a tragic death can prompt improvements in safety.
Source of Information
SHP Online
BBC News