Nerys Lloyd the former owner of Salty Dog Ltd has been sentenced to a total of 10 years 6 months for the gross negligence manslaughter of four paddleboarders at Haverfordwest in 2021.
This incident is a stark reminder of the responsibilities providers accept when working in the outdoors and reinforces the critical importance of –
- adequately assessing and controlling the risks of the activities they provide, in the locations at which they provide them
- being competent to understand how to manage safety, in the context they choose to operate, or appointing competent people to advise them when they don’t have such competence themselves
This dreadful event, which has devasted several families, demonstrates the consequences of not being appropriately competent, of not knowing the limitations of yourself or your instructors, and of not taking the sensible steps required to understand and manage the risks of what you do.
It is a reminder that safety management in adventure activities is not that difficult. Good safety management requires competent people to do some straightforward things.
Quoting the HSE inspector involved in the investigation –
“Health and safety law is not a barrier to adventurous activities, which are enjoyed by people every day in safety. Organisers must take proportionate action to recognise and manage real risks.”
Posted 23/04/25
