Woman trapped after 30ft nightclub sign falls on her

During our National Certificate for Personal Licence Holders (NCPLH) course we examine all the licensing objectives; we spend time examining the ‘Public Safety’ objective and all the various issues that fall under this category.  

I always tell the candidates attending that the full list of potential public safety issues is almost endless; here is another hazard to add to the list.

A nightclub sign falling on someone adds to the case of a Mirror Ball falling from the rigging in another case we are aware of. When mentioned during a course they tend to draw a giggle, yet have the potential to cause serious injury or death as well as providing an almost impossible case to defend and costly financial compensation.

As much as the licensing objective clearly not being met, I would imagine the first people on the scene would be the Health & Safety Executive (HSE) with their significant powers to prosecute.

You have been warned, if you see anything in your business which has the potential to undermine public safety (or for that matter the safety of employees) deal with it there and then or make it safe (exclude people from the area) until it can be dealt with.

In this case the victim getting away with a few stitches seems to be more through good fortune than safe working practices, but this makes it no less serious.

 

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Source – Times 

Date – 1st June 2010