WIREDGOV

David Walker, leisure safety manager for RoSPA, commented on today's £5million fine handed down to Merlin Attractions Operation Ltd following a crash on the Smiler rollercoaster in June 2015, 

“RoSPA believes that more serious offences should be met with more punitive measures to help deter potential future health and safety breaches, such as this incident which left five people with serious, life-changing injuries.

“This is one of the first significantly-sized companies affected by new sentencing guidelines.

“Prior to February 1, judges and magistrates were limited in the sentences they could hand down for cases like this, which tend to be extremely complex and serious in nature.

“Now courts are able to hand out tougher sentences that are consummate to the level of health and safety breach.

“We are pleased that the guidelines and sentences have been brought in line with other corporate offences, such as the kinds of fines handed out for environmental breaches.”