The Health and Safety section of Manchester City Council’s Environmental Health division has successfully prosecuted the hotel for two breaches of the Health & Safety at Work etc. Act 1974.

At a hearing at Manchester Magistrates Court on Wednesday February 26 2003, the company pleaded guilty to two offences. It received fines totaling £20,000 and was ordered to pay £1,722.45 costs to the City Council.

The first incident occurred on March 5 2002 when a hotel employee received an electric shock while unplugging a "hot box", used to keep food warm. The top of the plug casing was later found to be broken and the employee had touched a live part as he grasped the plug.

The second incident, occurring on March 13 2002, involved a guest staying at the hotel. She received an electric shock when she attempted to plug in a portable heater from which
the back case of the plug was missing.
 

Councillor Val Stevens, ManchesterCity Council’s Executive Member for Planning and Environment, said:

"We shall continue to prosecute companies in breach of health and safety regulations in order to reinforce good practice and to foster more responsible attitudes to health and safety issues."

Extract from ManchesterCity Council: http://www.manchester.gov.uk/news/2003/feb/shock.htm

Canteen Shock  A chef in a Bury works canteen received an electric shock, and the company a £10k fine. Electrical equipment was not being properly maintained and poor wiring and earthing to a cooker rendered it live.   www.safegard-online.co.uk     Dangerous Electrical Items  A potentially lethal lamp sold at a West End store led to a £4,000 fine in a successful prosecution by Westminster City Council Trading Standards. The Council was alerted when a customer who had bought a lamp from a shop in W1, received a strong electric shock. This led to hospital treatment. Westminster Trading Standards launched an immediate investigation. A number of other lamps from the store were seized, and these were also found to be electrically unsafe. With one lamp, it was possible to touch the live part of the light bulb while illuminated. The owners of the shop, pleaded guilty to two summonses under the Consumer Protection Act at Horseferry Road Magistrates' Court in April 2002. The owners of the shop were fined a total of £4,000 and ordered to pay £784 costs. In their defence, the company stressed that there was a small sign displayed in the shop stating that the lamps would need to be rewired after purchase. The company has taken steps to trace all customers who bought the lamps, asking them to be returned for testing and correction where necessary.