Introduction to Fire Safety Management

Principles of risk assessment
97
the hazards that arise from the activity or workplace, the 
groups of people at risk, the level of risk and the control 
measures that are required to reduce the risk. It may 
also be appropriate to emphasise what to do if hazards 
still exist or control measures are not working effectively.
5.7
Case study
In November 2000 an 11 year old child was playing, as 
was the custom, with a group of friends in a multi-storey 
car park when he became trapped in the roll-up machin-
ery of an automatic roller shutter door.
The company who owned and managed the car 
park had, at the time of the accident, not conducted 
an assessment of the risks to children who may have 
gained unauthorised access to the car park.
The child was seriously hurt and died as a result of 
the injuries he suffered.
Following an investigation of the circumstances of the 
accident the HSE prosecuted the company involved for 
failure to ensure the health and safety of persons not in 
their employment in that over a signifi cant period of time, 
local children used the car park as a play area thereby 
exposing themselves to risks to their health and safety.
The company had also breached regulation 3 of the 
Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations 
1999 by failing to conduct a suitable and suffi cient 
risk assessment. In fact the company concerned had 
conducted a health and safety risk assessment of the 
roller shutter door prior to the fatal accident but it was 
deemed to be not suitable and suffi cient.
The company was fi ned a total of £50 000 and were 
ordered to pay an additional £50 000 in costs to the HSE.
5.8
Example questions for Chapter 5
1.
(a)
Identify
the particular requirements of 
regulation 3 of the Management of 
Health and Safety at Work Regulations 
1999 in relation to an employer’s duty 
to carry out risk assessments. 
(3)
(b) 
Outline
the factors that should be 
considered when selecting individuals to 
assist in carrying out risk assessments in 
the 
workplace. 
(5)
2.
(a)