School fined over student’s life threatening injuries

A school in Kent has been prosecuted after a student suffered life threatening injuries during a multi-sport P.E lesson.

The student was struck on the head with a shot put, and needed emergency brain surgery on a fractured skull. Luckily, the boy is now back at school, but is no longer allowed to participate in some contact sports.

When the HSE investigated the incident they discovered that the school had completed the necessary risk assessment for the lesson. However, it did not follow the recommendations that multi-sport P.E lessons be limited to 4 sports with 1 throwing event.

Kevin Golding, a HSE inspector said;

“By not adopting the measures identified in their own risk assessment, The Judd School put pupils at serious risk leading to a 14-year-old boy being struck by a shot put and suffering life-threatening injuries. It was a horrifying incident for him and his family and, of course, the rest of the pupils and the school itself.

While he is thankfully back at school, he will have to live with the consequences of the incident for the rest of his life.

It is vitally important that schools review their risk assessments for all PE lessons, but in particular for multi-sports lessons, to check that they are safe.”

The school were ordered to pay £10,000 for breaching the Health & Safety at Work act.