A Yorkshire company has been told to pay £30,000 in damages after gate installed at a car park near Leeds city centre came off its hinges and crushed a six-year-old boy to death.
The youngster was playing with friends on Leylands Road on October 31, 2015 by pushing the electric gate back and forth.
However, the company who installed the sliding gate at the underground car park hadn't put an endstop on the track.
It meant that when the boy pushed the gate beyond its retaining mechanism, it fell over and trapped him underneath. He died as a result of his injuries.
An investigation by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) found that Bradfabs Ltd - the company that manufactured and installed the gate - failed to install an end stop.
The issue wasn't picked up during subsequent checks in the following six years either.
A hearing at Leeds Crown Court was told that the tragic incident 'could have been prevented' if the correct procedures were put in place.
Bradfabs Ltd, of Planetrees Road, Laisterdyke, Bradford, pleaded guilty to breaching Section 3 (1) of the Health and Safety at Work etc Act 1974 and was fined £30,000 and ordered to pay full costs of £12,411.46.
After the hearing, HSE inspector Julian Franklin said: "This was a tragic and wholly avoidable incident, which could have been prevented by a thorough commissioning check before handing the gate over to the building occupier.
"Companies should be aware the HSE will not hesitate to take appropriate enforcement action against those that fall below the required standards."
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