PGL fined after children injured, says council
Getty Images- Children’s activity company PGL Travel Limited has been fined £1m
- It comes after two children were injured at its Hindhead centre, says Waverley Borough Council, which brought the action
- The children's fingers were jammed in doors, the council said
- The judge recognised there had been a change in culture at PGL and investments in safety, the company said
A children’s activity company has been fined £1m after two youngsters had their fingers jammed between doors, a local council said.
PGL Travel Limited was ordered to pay the sum after the children suffered “significant injuries” during a stay at the company’s adventure centre in Hindhead, Surrey, Waverley Borough Council said.
The case was brought against the outdoor education provider by the council.
PGL said it deeply regretted the incidents and has invested significantly in health and safety.
The court heard PGL had been monitoring similar incidents since 2009, and that 520 children across its sites had “sustained finger entrapment in door injuries, some resulting in significant injury and amputation”, said the council, in a press statement.
The fine was imposed at Staines Magistrates’ Court on Monday after the company pleaded guilty, the council said.
The two specific offences were at PGL Marchants Hill Adventure Centre on 26 May and 21 October 2021.
According to the council statement, PGL failed to install finger guards to protect children at the site until the local authority issued them with prohibition notices.
Getty ImagesTony Fairclough, Waverley Borough Council’s portfolio holder for enforcement and regulatory services, said: “No parent expects to send their child on a school residential trip, and for them to return injured."
A spokesperson for PGL said the company deeply regretted the injuries that occurred, as well as the previous incidents between 2009 to 2019.
They added: “During the sentencing, the judge acknowledged a change in culture initiated by a new CEO, including in respect of health and safety management where substantial investments have been made.
“A large number of initiatives were acknowledged by the court, including the installation of finger guards on all doors across all PGL centres."
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