Derbyshire police fined £60K – after three police officers injured and taken to hospital during training involving petrol bombs
Derbyshire Constabulary was fined after a Health and Safety Executive investigation into a training incident, which saw three police officers taken to hospital.
Four serving police officers suffered burns after petrol bombs were thrown at them during a simulated exercise at a training facility in Rotherham on February 2, 2021.
An investigation into the incident by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) has now found that the officers had been exposed to ‘significant and avoidable’ risks during the exercise.
Officers wearing flame-retardant personal protective equipment (PPE) had been required to face petrol bombs thrown by other officers as part of a training drill intended to replicate a public disorder situation.
Four of the 13 officers taking part in the exercise sustained burns to their lower bodies, three of whom required hospital treatment.
All four have since returned to work, but the incident resulted in permanent scarring, and psychological harm which will have a lasting effect, the investigation found.
In a court hearing at Sheffield Magistrates Court on Monday, January 19, Derbyshire Constabulary pleaded guilty to breaching the Health and Safety at Work Act 1974 and were fined £60,000 as well as additional £9,470 in costs.
After the hearing, HSE Inspector Jennifer Elsegood, said: “Being a serving police officer is a job that carries with it levels of risk, however while preparing officers for dangerous situations is important, it must never come at the expense of their safety.
“High‑risk training activities must be planned and controlled with the same care and professionalism expected in any other workplace.
“The risks created by the training should have been identified as part of the Constabulary’s risk assessments and appropriately controlled.
“We hope this case reinforces the importance of thorough risk assessment, robust equipment assurance, and safeguarding those who put themselves forward to protect the public.”
Derbyshire Constabulary have issued a statement in response to the investigation findings.
Chief Constable Rachel Swann said: “In February 2021 an investigation was commenced by the HSE following an incident in training which led to the injury of four police officers.
“The injuries were suffered when the officers were involved in public order training which required the deployment of so-called ‘petrol bombs’.
“The injuries to the officers were serious and that officers were harmed during their training is something that has been taken very seriously.
“During the HSE’s enquiries it was identified that risk assessments that applied to the training were not adequate in terms of the way they structured the handling, transport and delivery of petrol.
“However, it was found that those risk assessments were not linked to the injuries suffered by the officers, which were believed to have occurred because of a failure of the personal protective equipment issued to them. No criticism has been made of Derbyshire Constabulary’s use of that equipment in this case.
“Derbyshire Constabulary co-operated fully with the HSE investigation and suspended training until the risk assessments were revised and robustly rewritten.
“The training was then restored with the benefit of the new and updated risk assessments to ensure that handling, storage, transport and delivery of petrol is as safe as it possibly can be.
“We recognise that the risk assessments should have been regularly reviewed and updated and acknowledges that in failing to do so officers were put at risk. We always look to prioritise the welfare of our staff and the public and this Court finding reflects our acknowledgement that on this occasion we failed to do so.
“We have learned the lessons from this failure and since 2021 have worked hard to ensure that the risks associated with the more dangerous elements of work for which we must prepare our officers are reduced to the lowest possible level.
“Although the investigation acknowledged that the injuries suffered by the officers were not caused by the issues which ultimately resulted in the court case, I want to make it clear that this in no way diminishes my regard for the welfare and safety of those officers.
“We continue to work tirelessly to make sure the training is as safe as it can be in all respects and we continue to look after our officers, staff and the public that they serve and have their safety and welfare as our main priority.”