Luxury hotel operator to pay £195,000 after employee suffers life-changing injuries at work

A luxury hotel operator has been ordered to pay £195,000 in damages to a former employee after he was left with life-changing injuries at work.

Barnsdale Hall Hotel, in Rutland pleaded guilty to a breach of health and safety law following the serious accident in May 2021.

The accident occurred when Mr. Andrew Veasey and another hotel employee were asked to remove a loose branch from a tree by raising Mr. Veasey up using a non-integrated working platform.

According to reports, the platform was attached to a JCB vehicle parked across the slope. But as the platform was raised, the vehicle fell over and crushed the roof of a car before crashing into a bank, causing Mr. Veasey life-changing injuries.

Mr. Veasey had to be resuscitated at the scene and sustained life-changing injuries which mean he is no longer able to care for himself.

An investigation into the incident was carried out by Peterborough City Council, on behalf of Rutland County Council, which found ‘significant deficiencies in the Defendant’s risk assessments, level of training and instruction, safe use of machinery and system of work when carrying out non-routine tasks such as the one in question.’

On September 19, 2023, the defendant pleaded guilty to a Section 2 offence under the Health and Safety at Work Act 1974 whereby it is the duty of every employer to ensure, so far as is reasonably practicable, the health, safety and welfare at work of all their employees.

Barnsdale Hall Hotel was ordered to pay a fine of £146,700, together with £50,000 awarded for costs and a £190 surcharge.

Commenting on the incident – Paul McMullan, Senior Paralegal at Oakwood Solicitors said:

“Employers need to take more responsibility and think carefully about what they are asking their staff to do. Have they been trained to carry out the task required, is it safe, are they aware of all the risks involved, have they even considered all of the risks.

“Employees should think carefully about what they are being asked to do by their employers. Have they been trained? Do they know how to do the task required? If not, they should speak up and/or refuse to carry out the task.

“Often employees are placed under undue pressure to do a task, which is not safe and should be carried out by a specialist or someone trained for that specific task.  It’s not right for employers to put this pressure on their staff.  In cases where this does happen, much like the story above, there are grounds for compensation, should an injury occur.”

If you have been injured at work and believe you could be entitled to compensation, get in touch with the team at Oakwood Solicitors today.

Further reading

Accidents at Work – Oakwood Solicitors

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