Firm given fine after barrier falls on baby

Kier Construction Ltd was fined £4,000 after pleading guilty to breaching Section 3 of the Health and Safety at Work Act 1974.

Ryo Jones was asleep in his pram while his mother Catherine used a cash machine outside a supermarket when the incident occurred in October 2011.

As she walked to the cash machine she heard her daughter scream. She turned and saw a barrier had fallen on top of the pram hood, which had collapsed on the baby.

Ryo was taken to hospital with bruising to his forehead. He was discharged that day and suffered no more effects from the incident.

An investigation by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) found that the barriers had not been filled with water to ensure stability and the barriers next to the cash machines had not been locked together.

Following the case, HSE Principal Inspector Isabelle Martin, said: “This incident could easily have been prevented. If assembled correctly the barriers could withstand winds of up to 58mph. On the day of the incident windspeed was about 30mph and should not have been an issue.”