Magistrate orders local employer to pay out over £10,000 following health and safety failings

This Council has successfully prosecuted a local golf club for failing to ensure the health, safety and welfare of its employees.

Having received a RIDDOR (Reporting of Injuries, Diseases and Dangerous Occurrences Regulations) report, Thanet District Council’s Public Protection Team investigated an incident at the North Foreland Golf Club in which a man was injured at work and suffered burns from an explosion.

A decision was made to bring two sets of charges against Kingsgate Golf Club Limited. The first – under the Health and Safety at Work Act 1974 – was for failing to ensure, so far as reasonably practicable, the health, safety and welfare at work of employees. The second was under the Control of Substances Hazardous to Health Regulations 2002, for failing to provide details of substances hazardous to health, to which an employee was liable to be exposed.

On Friday 23 November 2018, in a trial at Margate Magistrates’ Court, Kingsgate Golf Club Ltd pleaded guilty to both charges. They were ordered to pay a total of of £10,873.21. This includes a fine of £3,300, £7,373.21 costs and a £170 victim surcharge.

Cllr. Lesley Ann Game, Cabinet Member for Housing and Safer Neighbourhoods commented: “All employers have a duty to protect the health, safety and welfare of their employees and need to take reasonable steps to do so. No one should have to be exposed to unnecessary danger at work. While prosecution is not something we undertake lightly, in a case as serious as this one, it was deemed necessary. This case highlights the importance of ensuring the health and safety of employees at all times and the very serious consequences of non compliance.”

Thanet District Council’s Public Protection Team receives approximately 100 RIDDOR reports each year, as well as investigating about 30 health and safety complaints annually.  The officers that form the Public Protection Team are dedicated to ensuring public health and safety in Thanet including food safety and hygiene, and occupational health and safety.