Soft play centre fined £45k after teen employee badly scalded

OWNERS of a soft play area at Cribbs Causeway must pay a total of £45,000 in fines and costs after their employee was scalded at work.

They pleaded guilty to breaching health and safety rules and were sentenced at Bristol Magistrates’ Court on Thursday.

The 19-year-old suffered serious burns when a large quantity of near-boiling water was spilt onto her in the kitchen of 123 Jump Indoor Play Centre.

The court heard that in April 2018 the employee had taken hot water from an urn in the kitchen that was for making hot beverages.

She filled a container with the hot water which then toppled onto her causing significant burns to her hands and lower body, covering nine per cent of her body.

She remained in hospital for eight days and has been left scarred and with other long term effects due to the accident.

An investigation by Environmental Health Officers at South Gloucestershire Council found that a boiler meant to supply hot water was unreliable and by the time of the accident was permanently unusable.

They discovered that hot water was being taken from a drinks urn in the kitchen area, using unsuitable metal and plastic containers.

123 Jump Ltd admitted breaching the Health and Safety at Work Act and was fined £28,000 and ordered to pay costs of £17,000. The company was charged with:

» Failing to ensure so far as was reasonably practicable, the health, safety and welfare at work of its employees in that it failed to ensure employees were not exposed to risks arising from the use of hot water and cleaning tasks;

» As an employer failed to make a suitable and sufficient assessment of the risks to the health and safety of young persons in its employment.

Cllr Rachael Hunt, the council’s cabinet member for communities and local places, said: “Hearing about the terrible injuries and longterm effects suffered in this accident was incredibly upsetting. The risk of injury from this unsafe working practice was foreseeable and the incident could so easily have been avoided. Businesses should be aware that South Gloucestershire Council will not hesitate to take appropriate enforcement action against those that fall below the required standards.”

The Health and Safety at Work etc Act 1974 imposes a duty on employers to ensure, insofar as is reasonably practicable, the health, safety and welfare at work of all its employees.

This duty extends to young persons and employers must have additional regard to the specific risks to young persons in their employment.