HSE prosecution of care home provider – child crushed by falling tree

Child crushed by falling tree.

A company has been fined £400,000 after an 8-year-old girl suffered serious crush injuries when a tree fell on her. The girl was out for an evening jog with her father. As she was running on a pavement outside the entrance to the care home, a lime tree fell on her, causing injuries that resulted in her having her leg amputated.

It was subsequently discovered that the tree was diseased with a common fungus and had likely been rotting for several years before the accident. HSE’s investigation found that Bupa Care Homes had failed to have a strategy in place to manage trees.

For more details on the incident  Read this press release 

The HSE website has guidance on  Managing the risk from falling trees