Ten-pin bowling warning

UK operators of ten-pin bowling alleys have been alerted to potentially inadequate guarding after a man doing cleaning and maintenance was fatally crushed inside a ten-pin bowling machine in London. The incident was not witnessed, but it is believed he had not isolated the machine before entering it.

The March edition of SHP reports his employer, Mitchells and Butlers Retail Ltd, was fined £40,000 and ordered to pay nearly £15,000 in costs for a breach of the UK’s health and safety legislation.

The incident occurred at Barking’s Hollywood Bowl in July 2006. Investigators believe the man was beneath the skittle-clearing mechanism when it descended onto him and pinned him to the floor, causing serious crush injuries to his chest.

Investigators found the machine was inadequately guarded, and then discovered that similar problems were to be found at many bowling alleys across the country. The Health and Safety Executive has since issued guidelines for the safe use of pin-spotting machinery.

This story appeared in Safeguard Update newsletter of 31 May 2010.

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