Ponds revealed to be among top Hollyrood Parliament hazards
T h e p o n d s o u t s i d e t h e S c o t t i s h P a r l i a m e n t h a v e e m e r g e d a m o n g H o l y - rood’s top hazards in the past year.
Official data on accidents in and around the parliament reveal three separate incidents where visitors fell into the shallow water features.
In one case the accident log records the fall into the pond nearest the public exit “resulted in bruising”. But in the other two incidents it says there were “no reported injuries”.
All the falls occurred over a three-day period in December last year. No further details of the accidents were given in the records released by the parliament under Freedom of Information.
The data showed the top accident hot spot was the service yard and the where five accidents were recorded between O c t o b e r 2 5 l a s t y e a r a n d November 3 this year. None of these incidents, which involved visitors, parliament staff, a contractor and a member of the public, resulted in any injuries.
Other accidents at the parliament included a member of staff who suffered Injuries to their back, shoulder and wrist following a trip on steps, another who was left with injuries to their hand after tripping on the grand staircase and a third who sustained an injury to their back, chest and shoulder when opening a heavy exterior gate in the MSP garden.
A member of staff injured their face and hand tripping on a cable in the garden lobby and another suffered a minor injury to their jaw when a “window was blown open by wind”.
There were no compensation payouts by the parliament as a result of accidents over the past year.
The late Enric Miralles, the architect who designed the parliament, included the ponds to double as an ornamental feature and an anti-attack measure, describing them as "a pleasant background for the public, helping security as well".
But there have been several accidents over the years, i n c l u d i n g o n e e l d e r l y ma n w h o g o t o u t o f a t a x i a n d walked into a pond. Another visitor suffered broken ribs a f t e r f a l l i ng i nto on e o f t he p o n d s whi l e r e a d i n g a t ex t message and an MSP accidentally stepped back into a pond while taking a photograph.
Temporar y safet y barriers were put up in 2006 after a spate of accidents, but parliament officials accused the police of "precipitate action".