POLICE SERVICE of Northern Ireland negligence contributed to a senior armourer shooting himself in the hand, a judge ruled yesterday.
Peter Woods was awarded nearly £16,000 in damages after suing the force for injuries inflicted as he dismantled a pistol.
Mr Woods (50), a civilian member of staff with nearly 20 years’ experience, fired a bullet into his left hand at the PSNI’s Seapark base in February 2007.
His High Court action was brought on the grounds of an alleged negligent failure to carry out a proper risk assessment and a breach of the health and safety at work regulations.
An expert from the National Ballistics Intelligence Service testified that if a second inspector or range officer had been present the ammunition round in the chamber would almost definitely have been identified.
Accepting his evidence, Mr Justice McCloskey said this shortcoming rendered Mr Woods’s system of work unsafe and was a factor in his injury being inflicted.
The judge said: “Thus I hold that the defendant was guilty of negligence causing or contributing to the plaintiff’s injuries.”
With a breach of the health and safety regulations also established, Mr Justice McCloskey added: “At the time of the plaintiff’s accident, there was no risk assessment at all in respect of the weapons test firing range.
“This omission was not rectified until after the plaintiff’s accident, which was clearly the impetus for the rectification.” However, the judge also accepted Mr Woods was responsible for the omission, as preparing a risk-assessment formed part of his duties.
He failed, inexplicably and inexcusably, to compile one, according to Mr Justice McCloskey.
Despite this, the judge identified a “striking laxity on the part of senior management”, with no reminders or warnings issued when an assessment was not drawn up.
Assessing the level of damages for the shooting which caused a compound fracture, Mr Justice McCloskey held that the armourer was guilty of 50 per cent contributory negligence.
He based this on four points: Mr Woods should have “dry fired” the weapon before beginning dismantling; his failure to point the gun in a safe direction; combining sequential exercises in contravention of the manufacturer’s manual; and the failure to prepare a risk assessment.
“Having regard to the lethal nature of the equipment with which the plaintiff was working and his training, expertise and experience, each of these departures plainly constituted a failure to take reasonable care for his safety,” the judge said. “I find that these failures contributed to the infliction of the plaintiff’s injuries.”
After a reduction for contributory negligence and including a sum for loss of overtime, Mr Justice McCloskey ruled: “Accordingly, the plaintiff will have judgment against the defendant for £15,773.”