Fashion company Hugo Boss has been fined £1.2 million after health and safety breaches led to the death of four year old Austen Harrison at their Bicester Village store. The tragic incident occurred in June 2013, where Austen suffered fatal head injuries after an 18 stone changing room mirror fell on him. He was rushed to hospital where he underwent emergency surgery, but died four days later after suffering irreversible brain damage.
An inquest into Austen's death reported that the mirror had not been securely fixed to the wall but had been left balanced in the changing room. Despite previous near misses at other shop locations where mirrors had previously fallen, the mirror had been left in a state where it was an obvious risk. The mirror had remained in this state since the store opened in September 2012. The sentencing judge added that it was 'nothing short of a miracle' that it had not fallen sooner. There was found to be a lack of proper planning by the company and they had issued instructions for the mirror that were 'ill-defined and not followed through'.
Hugo Boss pleaded guilty to health and safety breaches at Banbury Magistrates' Court. The company expressed their deep regret to Austen's family and acknowledged that the tragic death of Austen was 'wholly avoidable'. During sentencing the judge stated that there were systematic failings in health and safety within the company which ran to levels of senior management.
The company was fined £1.1 million for breaching the Health and Safety at Work etc Act 1974 and £100,000 for breaches of the Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations SI 1999/3242. A separate civil case settled compensation to Austen's family.
