3Arena firm awarded €45,000 damages over wet floor risk

Company put down a surfacing on the venue’s floor that failed to prevent slippage

The 3Arena in Dublin. Photograph: Gareth Chaney Collins

The firm operating Dublin's 3Arena has been awarded €45,000 damages against a businessman whose company put down a surfacing on the venue's floor that failed to prevent slippage.

Amphitheatre Ireland Ltd, trading as The O2 and now called 3Arena, sued Michael Aiken trading as the Safety Direct Global for alleged negligence, breach of contract and misrepresentation arising out of a non-slip floor surface put down by the defendant in early 2012, after the floor was painted and repaired.

It was claimed it became apparent in 2012, when the floor became wet, there was a high risk of slippage and the floor was dangerous when wet.

The surface put down by the defendant did not meet the standard and performance criteria precribed in the price quotation and contract expected by Amphitheatre, it was alleged.

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Mr Justice Paul Gilligan ruled Amphitheatre was entitled to judgment of €45,000 plus legal costs against Mr Aiken.

Mr Aiken, with an address at Greenpark Road, Rostrevor, Co Down, was not in court and no representations were made on his behalf to the court.

The court heard Mr Aiken, whose business offered health and safety and non-slip flooring solutions to business was hired around January 2012 to put down a smooth anti-slip surface, so there would be no friction when seating was being used on the venue’s floor.

He was paid just over €18,000 for the job.

The plaintiff said the product put down by Mr Aiken was dangerously slippy when wet and had to be removed and another company hired to put down another product to prevent slippage at a cost of €33,000.