Fredrick's Hotel fined after employees are hospitalised by accidents

A four-star hotel in Shoppenhangers Road has been fined thousands of pounds after three employees were hospitalised by accidents in the hotel.

Fredrick’s Hotel Restaurant and Spa has been fined following a council-led investigation after three incidents which saw one employee pass out after cleaning the spa and another burnt by equipment.

In March 2015, two receptionists were told to deep clean the spa and pool and after half an hour they became seriously ill and began vomiting before one of them blacked out.

In a separate incident another employee was burnt using a new ‘decarboniser’ running at 82°C.

The accidents were reported to the Royal Borough in May of the same year and council officers found numerous health and safety breaches including inexperienced colleagues being given strong acids without enough training.

Cllr Carwyn Cox (Con, Hurley and Walthams) and cabinet member for environmental services said: “I would like to pay tribute to the efforts of the team of people who brought this matter to a successful prosecution.

“This shows the council’s commitment to ensuring people working in the borough do so safely.”

Improvement notices were served on the employer, Art Hotels UK Ltd, its director Ravinder Singh Takhar, management company Premier Cru Hotels, and managing directors Ian Shelton and Gareth Pugh.

The notices ordered them to carry out health and safety assessments and employ a dedicated safety expert.

Takhar admitted that since Premier Cru’s appointment in 2013 health and safety arrangements at the hotel had never been reviewed.

Premier Cru Hotels and Inns LLP appeared at Slough Magistrates’ Court on March 22 this year and admitted breaching section 3 (1) of the Health & Safety At Work Act 1974, by failing to ensure people were not exposed to risk.

Premier Cru was fined £3,300, ordered to pay partial costs of £5,145 and compensation in the sum of £500 to each of the three injured parties plus a £170 victim surcharge.

Representatives of Art Hotels UK Ltd admitted breaching Section 2(1) of the Health & Safety At Work Act 1974 by failing to ensure the health, safety and welfare at work of all its employees at Reading Crown Court on Wednesday, October 11.

The company was fined £20,000 and ordered to pay costs of £40,095 plus a £120 victim surcharge.