Fairground ride operator fined after man killed at Ocean Beach Pleasure Park in South Shields

Premier Attractions Limited admitted negligence over catastrophic injuries sustained by Dean Cariss, 52, at Ocean Beach Pleasure Park in South Shields.

He was struck by a ride car on rails after he left a storage shed, situated in the middle of the Crash Test feature’s track, at around 11.40am on Sunday, March 19 last year.

Colleague Brian Slater, who sent the car on its way at an estimated 33mph, saw him walk into the danger zone and shouted, “Dean, no”, but his cry came too late, a court heard.

Although the ride was in perfect working order, its design meant cars could not be stopped between any of its eight brake points.

Despite Mr Slater pressing the emergency button, the car was already passed its nearest brake space and contact with Mr Cariss was inevitable.

He died at Newcastle’s Royal Victoria Infirmary 13 days later from a medical collapse linked to severe head injuries he received.

Health and safety failings meant he had been able to stray from his trackside post as the car was sent on a daily test run prior to opening to the public.

In fact, he had walked into an off-limits “danger zone” which contained a blue shed – known as the ‘toolbox’ - to collect his branded works jacket.

Manchester-based Premier Attractions admitted it was oblivious to the risks posed to staff by the toolbox’s location, South Tyneside Magistrates’ Court was told.

A Health and Safety Executive post-incident investigation found the company’s risk assessment entirely overlooked the danger of harm to staff accessing it.

Ian Jordan, prosecuting for the HSE, said: “That risk assessment was not suitable.

“There was no risk assessment about employees accessing the toolbox or control measures to mitigate.”

Mr Cariss joined the company as an attendant just a month before his death and was trained to only help customers on and off the ride.

Spencer Stokes, 37, of Village Farm, Murton, Seaham, a director of Premier Attractions, pleaded guilty to one count of failing to discharge general health, safety and welfare duty as an employer to an employee.

Premier Attractions, which has an annual turnover of around £778,000, operated the ride inside Ocean Beach Pleasure Park but is not the owner of the amusement park.

Tom Gent, representing Premier Attractions, expressed regret over the death of Mr Cariss, who was from Chester-le-Street.

He said the company had cooperated with the HSE, had no previous safety failings, engaged regularly with safety agencies and had made improvements to its on-site practices.

Mr Gent said it was accepted the risk assessment “wasn’t suitable or sufficient”, but insisted Mr Cariss had been fully trained.

District Judge Zoe Passfield accepted Premier Attractions had a good overall attitude to health and safety, but described the area within the perimeter fence as a “danger zone” due to moving parts.

She said it was foreseeable employees could be present while cars were moving and took the view the firm “fell short of the appropriate standards in relation to the specific issue of risk identification and control within the perimeter of the ride and relating to the toolbox.”

The judge added: “The risk assessment was of some age and did not address at all the risk to employees caused by entering the perimeter to access the toolkit.”

Premier Attractions must also pay £5,976.82 in court costs and a £181 statutory surcharge.