No further action over Woking fireworks incident, inspectors say

No further action will be taken by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) over an incident at Woking’s fireworks display in 2018, in which a number of children were injured after falling from an inflatable slide.

More than three years on, the regulator has today (25 November) confirmed it has completed its investigation into the incident at Woking Park on 3 November 2018, in which ten children fell from the steps of the slide.

In a statement the HSE said that inspectors had “raised concerns with the slide owner regarding the condition of some of the equipment being used” but added that “the investigation has been unable to establish beyond reasonable doubt whether these issues were a significant factor in causing the incident or that there were any actions required of the owner which he could have taken”.

The HSE said that for those reasons, they will not be taking any legal action.

Emma Stiles, a principal inspector at HSE said: “This was a serious incident with potentially life-changing consequences and HSE’s thoughts remain with the families affected.

“This incident has raised a number of questions with regard to inflatable devices and how best to ensure the safety of those using them.

“Our investigation has been thoroughly carried out and we thank all of those concerned for their patience.

“We continue to work closely with stakeholders to improve safety standards with the industry. HSE’s absolute priority is to ensure children and adults are able to enjoy using inflatables as safely as possible.”

The HSE says it has been conducting scientific research into the safety of inflatable devices, which will be completed in the new year.