Ripon Cathedral: Injury Claim

A visitor to Ripon Cathedral suffered an ankle injury when stepping in a depression on a step leading to the Crypt. The visitor took the Cathedral to court to claim for damages but the judge ruled in favour of the Cathedral finding them not liable.

To protect visitors the Cathedral had taken the following precautions:

• a risk assessment of the area had been completed and found there was no significant danger;
• the area was well lit;
• a one way system was in operation to guide visitors;
• signage was present to guide people along the one way system.

The court found that:

• in view of the narrow width of the walkway, installing a hand rail wasn’t necessary;
• no additional signage was required to warn about the danger of injury;
• heritage buildings like the Cathedral have uneven surfaces. It was only reasonable for the cathedral to interfere with the fabric of the building if it posed a real danger;
• it was reasonable to assume that visitors would carefully place their feet when walking in a place of such antiquity.

Under section 2 of the Occupiers Liability Act 1957 owners of any building must take reasonable care to protect visitors. The court ruled that the Cathedral had fulfilled its responsibility in this respect and threw out the case

For more information contact: Chris Pitt, PR Manager, Ecclesiastical Insurance Tel: 01452 334984 Email: chris.pitt@ecclesiastical.com