Three Firms Hit with £420K Fine After Toddler’s Harrowing Injury at Dorset Hotel Site
Three companies have been slammed with a colossal £420,000 fine after a three-year-old girl suffered a fractured skull at the Moonfleet Manor hotel construction site in Weymouth, Dorset. The child was hit by a falling slate tile, sparking outrage over shocking safety failings.
Child Seriously Injured by Falling Slate Tile
The terrifying incident took place on June 13, 2019, as the little girl was leaving a swimming lesson with her dad and older brother. A heavy slate tile plummeted from the hotel roof—some five metres up—and struck her head.
She was given first aid at the scene before being rushed to hospital. Medics placed her in an induced coma and performed a gruelling two-hour surgery to remove slate fragments lodged in her skull.
Firms Fined for Shocking Safety Blunders
- Rocare Building Services Limited, responsible for the roof renovation, was fined £160,000 and ordered to pay over £15,500 in costs. They were found guilty of breaching key construction safety regulations.
- Quadra Built Environmental Consultancy Limited, hired as the principal designer, was slapped with a £60,000 fine and £25,000 in costs for safety breaches.
- LFH (Moonfleet Manor) Limited, the hotel owner, faced the biggest hit: a £200,000 fine plus £143,482 in costs after failing to protect guests and workers alike.
Investigation Exposes Safety Failings and Scaffolding Mess
The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) found that safety measures at the site were woefully inadequate, including badly maintained scaffolding. Moonfleet Manor was criticised for putting guest convenience before safety, ignoring vital precautions to stop deadly falling objects in a busy area.
“This was a devastating incident with the potential to prove fatal,” said HSE inspector Nicole Buchanan. “The child and her family have suffered hugely. It’s a stark reminder to all clients and contractors of their duty to protect workers and the public by following strict safety standards.”
