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Severn Valley Railway fined £40,000 after painter suffers serious injuries in fall from height

13 September 2024
Severn Valley Railway has been fined £40,000 after pleading guilty to offences under the Work at Height Regulations 2005, which followed an investigation and prosecution by industry regulator, Office of Rail and Road (ORR).
Steam locomotives at a heritage railway

The incident involving the full-time locomotive and carriage painter, happened on 22 February 2021 at Severn Valley Railway’s Bridgnorth Locomotive Works where a repaint of a Mark 1 carriage was being undertaken.

At the time of the incident, the carriage painter was carrying out the work alone and not wearing a safety harness, when they fell from approximately 13 feet, hitting a metal storage cabinet before landing on a concrete floor. They suffered six broken bones in their lower back and also suffered neck injuries.

ORR’s investigation found that Severn Valley Railway had failed to put in place recognised standards of protection when working at height, while safe systems of work and appropriate instruction, planning and supervision were not present when the repainting was carried out.

District Judge Strongman said the defendant “fell woefully below the standards expected”.

Richard Hines, HM Chief Inspector of Railways, said:

“This is yet another avoidable working at height incident at a heritage railway which resulted in very serious injuries. My thoughts are with the individual concerned.

“Our inspectors have recently met with heritage operators across the sector to reinforce expectations of them around the proportionate safety arrangements that must be followed in order to carry out such maintenance tasks, because, sadly, these types of incidents remain too common. Poor standards are unacceptable and will not be tolerated."

Notes to editors

  1. The Office of Rail and Road (ORR) is the independent economic and safety regulator for Britain’s railways and scrutinises the performance and efficiency of England’s strategic road network.
  2. Severn Valley Railway operates a heritage railway, in Kidderminster.
  3. Severn Valley Railway pleaded guilty to a charge of failing to discharge its duties under Regulation 4(1) and 6(1) of The Work at Height Regulations 2005, breaches of which are offences contrary to section 33(1)(c) of the Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974
  4. Severn Valley Railway has been issued a fine of £40,000. They were also ordered to pay ORR’s costs of £48,000 and a victim surcharge of £181.