News Item: Trailing Cable Leads Officers to Major Infringements

A food inspector from South Kesteven District Council visited Stoke Rochford Hall Hotel in Lincolnshire.  During the visit the inspector was concerned to find a damaged electrical cable crossing a walkway in the kitchen, along with exposed cables in the dishwashing area.  Improvement notices were issued to the company giving it time to carry out the necessary work which included an electrical installation inspection and test, and completion of any actions arising from the report.

Following the allotted timeframe for compliance, the hotel management hadn't managed to get the work done and was granted at least two extensions.  However, at the end of the extension period, the work had still not been carried out.  It appears that at this point the Council lost its patience.  Rather than taking its operators to court for breaching the improvement notices, a deeper investigation was carried out into health and safety standards, resulting in eight charges in total.

In addition to the failure to undertake the electrical matters addressed in the improvement notices, the company had failed to: (1) control exposure to hazardous substances; (2) provide employees with suitable training in the safe use of hazardous substances; (3) report an accident to the local authority after a staff member was seriously injured in a fall; (4) manage the risks from legionella bacteria: (5) prevent danger from exposed electrical cables and connectors in a bathroom and (6) operate the gym in a safe manner.

They were fined £220,000 and ordered to pay costs of £32,606.