THE former operators of a Southport amusement park have been fined £95,000 over the death of a maintenance worker who was carrying out routine checks at the site.
Pleasureland Ltd had pleaded guilty to breaching health and safety laws after the death at the fairground in 2004. The company was also ordered to pay £50,000 costs.
Liverpool Crown Court was told that 59-year-old William John Birchall was working on the Sky Ride at the park when the accident happened on August 25, 2004.
He was lubricating the 30-year-old chairlift-style cable ride when he became entangled in the moving machinery.
He could not tell his colleague, who was at the controls just 200m away, to stop the ride, because his radio was out of reach.
Mr Birchall was trapped for 45 minutes, about 30ft in the air, while fire crews used cutting and lifting equipment to free him.
His chest and shoulder were crushed after he became trapped in the equipment and it is believed he suffered a heart attack.
The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) said the case showed the need for employers to carry out proper risk assessments for maintenance work.
HSE Inspector Charles Cottle said: “This was a terrible tragedy that could have been avoided had the correct procedures been in place.
“This case graphically illustrates that companies should ensure that safe working systems are in place for the safety of all their employees.
“After the accident a much improved access was provided for the maintenance of the ride, an automatic lubrication system was installed and a fixed telephone provided to improve communications.
“Had these measures already been in place, they would have vastly reduced the risk of accident.”
The Southport amusement park was closed in September 2006, after 93 years in the town.
The site partially reopened under the name New Pleasureland, with new operators, under a short-term lease this summer.
