Melbourne play centre fined over $60,000 after girl falls 7m from rope ladder and fractures spine

A Melbourne play centre has been fined more than $60,000 after an eight-year-old girl fell 7m from a rope ladder and fractured her spine.

The child was at a friend’s birthday party at Funtopia Maribyrnong at Maidstone in July 2022 when the accident occurred.

According to WorkSafe, CCTV footage shows the girl correctly connecting a controlled rope device to her harness and beginning her climb.

But as the girl descended, she became unattached to the cable system because of a fault in the device and fell several metres to the ground.

The girl was taken to hospital with two compression fractures to her vertebrae.

WorkSafe investigated the accident and identified the fault in the rope device as well as “excessive wear”.

It found that the company behind the play centre, Entertainment Velocity Ptd Ltd, had obtained the components making up the rope system when the franchise was purchased in 2018.

Entertainment Velocity was charged with breaching health and safety laws earlier this year and on Friday faced the Melbourne Magistrate Court.

“The court found it was reasonably practicable for Entertainment Velocity to adequately inspect, maintain and, where necessary, replace its climbing safety equipment,” WorkSafe said.

The company was convicted and fined $60,000 and ordered to pay $6000 in costs.

WorkSafe executive director of health and safety Sam Jenkin said the trauma and injury the little girl suffered when she should have been enjoying a friend’s birthday was “devastating”.

“WorkSafe continues to see an alarming number of issues at indoor play centres relating to the maintenance, training and supervision around climbing safety devices,” he said.