A SCHOOL has been fined £30,000 after it took pupils on a hike up a mountain without any safety equipment despite a weather warning for ice.
Students at Gateshead Cheder, an all boys Orthodox Jewish school, were taken on a 6.5 mile trek up Helvellyn in the Lake District in early March.
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A court heard that some of the children were wearing school shoes or trainers and school trousers or tracksuits for climbing the 950m mountain.
The pupils didn’t have any climbing equipment, like ropes, crampons or ice axes and no emergency safety equipment such as torches, compasses – except for one on a mobile phone – biffy bags, tents or foil blankets.
The group was supervised by two rabbis, one a teacher and one a teaching assistant, who were not qualified in mountaineering or outdoor activities, Newcastle Magistrates’ Court heard.
During the descent of the mountain, the group veered off the path, which had been obscured by snow, one boy slipped, falling 15m, while another ran off on his own.
Mountain Rescue was contacted and a helicopter was called out to take the group to safety as well as locate the missing pupil who had been gone for more than an hour.
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The school pleaded guilty to two counts of breaching the 1974 Health and Safety at Work Act and has been fined £30,000 and ordered to pay £4,547 in costs, the Chronicle reports.
District Judge Zoe Passfield said: “There was a group of children inappropriately dressed, without safety equipment, trekking above the snowline, being led by staff without proper training, with limited daylight due to a late start against a backdrop of a warning of serious consequences from a Weatherline report.
“There can be no question that there was a risk of death caused by slipping, falling from height or hypothermia.
“There was a serious failing by the school to properly assess the risk for its pupils and to ensure their safety.”
The court heard the school trip had been organised for March 5, 2020, with the two rabbis supervising the trip and a risk assessment had been carried out.
But the assessment had not been properly implemented.
Lee Hughes, prosecuting, said the website Weatherline, which is a daily weather forecast made by fell top assessors for the Lake District, was checked the day before but a warning was ignored.
WEATHER WARNINGS IGNORED
The warning said there was wintry conditions on the mountain and climbing clothes and equipment were “essential for those going above the snowline” on all routes, including the easier one, which the group used.
It said: “As a result, a slip without means to stop yourself could have serious consequences. The snow obscuring landmarks combined with a low cloud requires excellent navigational skills”.
Mr Hughes said some of the children were wearing school shoes or trainers and their school trousers or tracksuit bottoms.
The only safety equipment they had were compasses and a torch on the rabbis’ mobile phones and a map.
Their ascent of the mountain started an hour later than planned, Mr Hughes said, and they met two walkers who warned them not to go any further but this was ignored and the pair were dismissed as “elderly men having a difficult time”.
They eventually got to the top at around 4pm and then began their descent.
The prosecutor said: “During the descent, they lost sight of the path, which was obscured by snow, but continued anyway.
“They discussed going back up to find the path but there was concern they would run out of daylight.
“They decided to proceed as the could see landmarks they recognised and, during this, the pupil slipped.”
MOUNTAIN RESCUE TEAM SENT OUT
The Keswick Mountain Rescue Team were notified of the incident at 5.30pm, the court heard, and that a boy had ran off and was missing.
The rescue team, which included a helicopter and dogs, located the group and the boy just over an hour later.
Mr Hughes said: “By this time, the temperature was below zero and the group were 200m above the snowline.
“The team arranged to get the group down safely and they cut steps in the ground for the boys to walk.
“They brought each boy to safety individually. That took about 20 to 30 minutes.”
Mr Hughes added: “The risk of accident was entirely foreseeable and there were measures that could have been taken to avoid it.”
The court heard that the school had deemed the “easier route” taken by the group was more a walk rather than a mountaineering exercise.
The school informed the boys to wear appropriate footwear and clothes but did not tell their parents.
Peter Smith, defending, said: “The director wishes to say in open court that they are deeply sorry for what took place on March 5 and especially in relation to the injuries sustained by one of their Year 10 pupils.
“Thankfully, he was back in school the next day.”
Mr Smith added: “This is not a case where they had not sought to address the risk. This is an occasion where some planning had taken place.
“There is a risk assessment carried out but it was poorly implemented.”
The court heard that Gateshead Cheder Ltd had no past convictions and had co-operated with the Health and Safety investigation.
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