Skiing Company Fined After Boy’s Tragic Death at Birthday Party

An indoor skiing company has received a £100,000 fine following an accident in which a 12-year-old boy died.

The boy was at a tobogganing party to celebrate a friend's birthday. He was descending the main ski slope on a toboggan when it ran into the back of a member of staff who was conducting a slope walk. The member of staff fell backwards onto the boy, who tragically died at the scene from head injuries.

An investigation by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) found that the company had failed to ensure the safety of its customers while they were tobogganing at the venue. It did not have a suitable and sufficient risk assessment for tobogganing activities and had not fully considered all persons likely to be on the slope during tobogganing. As a result, there was no safe system of work, information, instruction, training or supervision to manage the risk of collisions between toboggans and pedestrians.

The company pleaded guilty to breaching Section 3(1) of the Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974. It was fined £100,000 and ordered to pay costs of £14,534.