Newsagent fined after two shoppers trip in two days

Martin McColl has been fined, along with shopfitter JMS Retail Concepts, £640,000 after two customers tripped and injured themselves in as many days at a shop in Dinas Powys, South Wales. 

The accidents occurred whilst the shop was having a concrete access-ramp installed over a period of three days in 2016.

An elderly lady was injured first, hitting her head and breaking a wrist after she fell trying to walk across the building work. The next day an elderly man fell and broke his collar bone.

The Health and Safety Executive said it would have been reasonably practicable to close the store during the construction of the ramp and install barriers and signs to prevent access by the public. However, the shop remained open while the work was being undertaken and customers had to walk through the building site to access it.  

Before Cardiff Magistrates’ Court Martin McColl pleaded guilty to breaching the Health and Safety at Work Act. It was fined £600,000 and ordered to pay costs of £11,520. JMS Retail was fined £40,000 plus £3,038 costs after also pleading guilty.