A theatre operator and a stage production company have been fined a total of £36,000 for breaching the Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974, for failings which led to an accident in which 11 members of the audience were injured. They had been invited onto the stage during a performance, and promptly fell about three metres through a temporary plywood cover over the orchestra pit, which was not strong enough to take their weight. Investigation by Birmingham Council officials found there were no arrangements in place to control the flow of people on the stage, there was an absence of barriers preventing access over the orchestra pit and no prior warnings that the pit cover was not safe to stand on.
Clear Channel Entertainment Ltd and Sing-a-Long-a-Productions Ltd pleaded guilty at Birmingham Crown Court, to failing to ensure the safety of members of the public.
