£15k fine after broken neck
A Stafford leisure company has been fined £15,000 for health and safety breaches which resulted in a customer breaking his neck on an exercise bike.
A Stafford leisure company has been fined £15,000 for health and safety breaches which resulted in a customer breaking his neck on an exercise bike.
Information technology manager Steven McHugh, aged 37, of Long Lane, Derrington, near Stafford, was taking part in a spinning class at Stafford Sports Arena, Queen's Retail Park, on August 1 last year when the handlebars came off and he flew forward and hit his head on the seat of the bike in front. His vertebrae was broken in two places as a result.
At Stafford Magistrates Court yesterday Nabil Jaber, director of Sparena Leisure Ltd, agreed to pay £350 a month for the next four years including costs of £2,562. He had admitted failing to conduct his businesses undertakings in such a way as to ensure people were not exposed to risk.
In a statement to the court, Mr McHugh said: "I was due to go on holiday the next day with my wife. It had to be cancelled. I was in a rigid neck collar for 10 months with physio once a week. A scan showed that only one part of my bone had healed, the other part may never. I may have to have an operation to have the bones fused together.
"I used to mountain bike, horse ride, water ski, snow ski and do water sports but I am still unable to do all of these activities.
"I have not been able to do a lot of simple things like crossing the road because I cannot turn my head. For nine months I had to drink through a straw and my teeth were also fractured."
He was using an Instyle v600 stationary bike known as an aero cycle when the incident happened at 7.50pm. Sparena trades as Stafford Sports Arena and has been operating for 17 years from two indoor centres in Stafford and Wolverhampton.
Mark Owen, defending, said the firm did check the equipment on a daily and weekly basis but the directions from the manufacturer advising regular inspections of the handlebars had not been in their possession. It is believed a previous customer may have made an adjustment to the bike before the spinning class, causing the accident.
