Health and Safety Executive
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Mum of boy electrocuted in a beer garden calls on pubs and clubs to make sure they’re safe this summer
The mother of a seven-year-old boy who died after being electrocuted in a pub beer garden is urging the hospitality sector to make sure their outdoor electrical equipment is safe.
Danielle Jones’ son, Harvey Tyrrell, was electrocuted after he touched unsafe lighting in the garden of a pub in Harold Wood, Essex in September 2018.
Danielle, from Romford, is calling on pubs, restaurants, and other hospitality venues to make sure electrical installations and equipment used in outdoor spaces are safe this summer.
Great Britain’s workplace regulator, the Health and Safety Executive (HSE), is working with the hospitality industry and local authority enforcement officers to increase awareness of safety standards.
HSE says venues should arrange for a competent person to carry out electrical installation work, only using lights and heaters specifically designed for outdoor use, and regularly checking equipment for damage or water ingress. The fixed installation and electrical appliances should be maintained in accordance with the Electricity at Work Regulations 1989.
Danielle, 34, recently said:
“People who run pubs and other hospitality venues should regularly check their electrics, especially as pub beer gardens are getting busier at this time of the year.
“I’m still hearing of other incidents involving unsafe electrics in pubs and this needs to stop – I don’t want any other family to go through what happened to us.
“Harvey was such a beautiful little soul, a cheeky chappie and one of a kind and what sadly happened to him could have been prevented.”
The pub owner where Harvey died pleaded guilty to Harvey’s manslaughter and to stealing electricity from an unmetered supply and was jailed for 9 years in 2021.
Mark Dawson, HSE’s Head of local authority and safety unit, recently said:
“The hospitality sector will be looking forward to a busy summer period. Those responsible for outdoor spaces need to make sure electrical equipment is in good condition, safe to use and regularly checked.”
The information below is for the installation and use of plug-in electrical equipment. Anyone selecting, using, or maintaining such equipment should be competent to do so.
Click here for the full press release
Original article link: https://press.hse.gov.uk/2023/06/29/mum-of-boy-electrocuted-in-a-beer-garden-calls-on-pubs-and-clubs-to-make-sure-theyre-safe-this-summer/?utm_source=hse.gov.uk&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=press-channels-push&utm_term=electrics-hosp-pr&utm_content=news-page
