Anna Ryder Richardson has come to her defence after her wildlife park was fined £70,000 for breaching health and safety laws. The TV star runs the Wildlife Park with Colin MacDougall, her husband and both were present at Swansea Crown Court to hear the verdict. The HSE prosecuted the company after a child was injured in 2010.

Gruff Davies-Hughes, a three year old boy, was stood by the wallaby enclosure when the bough of a tree was blown off in strong winds, hitting the boy. He was left with serious head injuries and was in life support for three days fighting for his life.

Risk Assessments  Public Places Were Performed According to Ryder Richardson

In addition to the £70,000 fine Mr MacDougall was fined £4,000 after he admitted breaching two health and safety breaches. However, Anna Ryder Richardson appeared on the Daybreak Today show on ITV claiming they were innocent. She stated that no one was able to foresee that the tree would come down. She also stated that risk assessments were part of their zoo licence and they have performed a health and safety check each of the three years they have been running the wildlife park. She claimed that a team from Woburn Safari Park had come and performed the risk assessments and so they were operating by the book.

The company and Mr MacDougall changed their plea to guilty at the start of the three week long court case.  The fines will mean they struggle to keep the park open; they will not be able to take people on or make any changes to the park, although Ryder Richardson said that would be down to her husband.

Double Check Your Current Risk Assessments

Health and safety consultants are able to help to ensure your risk assessments are complete. If you have any concerns over your current assessments, have new jobs and workers or would like to have an audit you can contact the consultants for help. They have the training, skills, experience and complete knowledge of the health and safety laws.

You might also prefer to learn the skills yourself, in which case you could use the training health and safety services. Training you or your management team will ensure that risk assessments are completed fully. It’s also a great way to ensure you are able to identify hazards. Hazards are risk to the health and safety of others and play a huge role in risk assessments and general health and safety in any working environment.

If you would like to discuss any of the health and safety services you can do so by calling us on: 0800 1488 677. You can also fill in the simple online form and one of our team will be in touch.