Chessington World of Adventures Resort has today been fined £150,000 and ordered to pay £21,614 costs at Guildford Crown Court after pleading guilty last Friday (9th January), to safety breaches relating to an accident in the queue line for Tomb Blaster in 2012.
The incident saw a four-year-old girl fall approximately 14ft from the exterior queue line and suffer injuries including a fractured skull, bleed on the brain and broken ribs. The injuries resulted in the girl spending a month in hospital and it was reported that she is still receiving extensive rehabilitation and support.
The Health and Safety Executive’s investigation found that the fencing had not been treated with preservative and had white and brown rot. Water had dripped from the roof of the attraction onto the wooden fencing, promoting the rotting and weakening of the area. Numerous parts of the fencing had also been re-fixed over the years. The court was also informed that earlier on the same day of the accident, another family further along in the queue line had to grab their child by the coat to stop her falling through the fence. The fencing concerned has since been replaced with metal safety fencing.
In a statement, Chessington World of Adventures Resort said:
What happened to the young child was an isolated incident which we deeply regret, and from the outset we have put in place a package of support for the child and the family which will continue for as long as is required.
The resort also emphasised that the health and safety of its guests and employees was its top priority.