Council fined £280,000 after death of six-year-old girl hit by falling tree

A council has been fined £280,000 after the death of a six-year-old girl who was hit by a falling tree in her school playground. Several other children were hit by the falling tree but managed to escape, some with superficial injuries. An investigation by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) found the tree had decayed and was in a poor condition. Newcastle City Council had failed to identify the extent of the decay or to manage the risk posed by the tree. Newcastle City Council pleaded guilty to breaching section 3(1) of the Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974 and was fined £280,000 and ordered to pay costs of £8,020 by South Tyneside Magistrates on 10 January 2023. The key point here is “failed to identify”. This is why it is imperative that schools require professional tree risk assessment. IROS ARB are qualified and registered QTRA assessors. Posted in News

For more information on Council fined £280,000 after death of six-year-old girl hit by falling tree talk to Iros Arboriculture Ltd