Force fined after police officers injured by petrol bombs during riot training gone wrong
Derbyshire Constabulary has been fined £60,000 after four of its officers were burned by petrol bombs during a riot training exercise gone wrong. The incident, which exposed officers to “significant and avoidable risks”, occurred at a training center in Rotherham, South Yorkshire, on 2 February 2021.
The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) investigated a simulated public disorder exercise involving 13 police officers wearing flame-retardant personal protective equipment (PPE) as they faced petrol bombs thrown by colleagues.
After the incident, four police officers suffered burns to their lower bodies and three of them required hospital treatment. After all four returned to work, the HSE confirmed the injuries had caused permanent scarring and psychological damage and were expected to have a lasting impact.
The regulator said its investigation found Derbyshire Constabulary did not provide officers with sufficient information to ensure PPE provided protection.
It also failed to carry out a proper risk assessment of the production and deployment of tear gas bombs and failed to implement safe systems of work to control “foreseeable risks arising during gas intake training”.
The police were fined £60,000 and ordered to pay £9,470 costs after pleading guilty to breaching the health and safety law at Sheffield Magistrates’ Court on Monday, the HSE said.
HSE inspector Jennifer Elsegood said: “Being a police officer is a job that carries with it a high level of risk, but while it is important to prepare officers for dangerous situations, this should never come at the expense of their safety.
“High-risk training activities must be planned and controlled with the care and professionalism expected in any other workplace.
“The risks posed by the training should have been identified and appropriately controlled as part of the police force’s risk assessments.
“We hope this case will reinforce the importance of thorough risk assessment, assurance of robust equipment, and protection of those who put the protection of the public first.”
Derbyshire Chief Constable Rachel Swann said: “The officers’ injuries were serious and officers being harmed during their training is a matter taken very seriously.”
But he said the risk assessments were not adequate in relation to the handling, transportation and distribution of the oil and were not linked to the injuries suffered by the officers.
He said the injuries were believed to have been caused by a fault in personal protective equipment, but “no criticism has been made of Derbyshire Constabulary’s use of this equipment in this case.”
Ms Swann said: “We recognize that risk assessments need to be reviewed and updated regularly and accept that by failing to do so officers are being put at risk and have apologized to those involved.
“We always seek to prioritize the welfare of our staff and the public, and this court decision reflects our recognition that we have failed to do so in this case.
“We have learned from this failure and have been working hard since 2021 to ensure that the risks associated with the more dangerous elements of the job for which we need to prepare our officers are reduced to the lowest possible level.”
He said: “Whilst the investigation recognizes that the injuries suffered by the officers were not caused by the issues that ultimately resulted in litigation, I would like to make clear that this in no way diminishes my respect for the welfare and safety of these officers.
“We continue to work tirelessly to ensure that education is as safe as possible in every respect, and we continue to consider the safety and welfare of our officers, staff and the public they serve as our main priority.”
