Summary:
West Mercia Police has been fined £85,800 and ordered to pay £9,402 in costs after a 22-year-old student officer sustained life-threatening and life-changing injuries when hit by a car on Christmas Eve 2023. The officer was managing traffic at the scene of a collision on an unlit, 60mph road in Bridgnorth, Shropshire.
Analysis:
An investigation by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) found that West Mercia Police failed to adequately manage risks associated with traffic collisions. Specifically, their risk assessments were insufficient, they didn’t provide suitable equipment for responding to such incidents, and there was a lack of appropriate information, instruction, and training for officers. This exposed both employees and the public to unnecessary risks. The HSE highlighted that these failures occurred despite the National Police Chiefs’ Council (NPCC) having issued recommendations on road safety to all UK police forces in June 2021. While the force has implemented significant changes since the incident, the HSE stated these measures should have been in place prior to the officer being injured.