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| MoD to be censured over SAS Brecon Beacons deaths | MoD to be censured over SAS Brecon Beacons deaths |
| (35 minutes later) | |
| The Ministry of Defence is to be censured over the deaths of three soldiers on an SAS training exercise in the Brecon Beacons in 2013. | The Ministry of Defence is to be censured over the deaths of three soldiers on an SAS training exercise in the Brecon Beacons in 2013. |
| The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) said it would issue a so-called Crown Censure following the tragedy on one of the hottest days of 2013. | |
| The MoD would have faced prosecution for failings identified, said the HSE, were it not for crown immunity. | |
| Related: How three army reservists died on an SAS march - visual guide | |
| L/Cpl Craig Roberts died during the march and L/Cpl Edward Maher and Cpl James Dunsby collapsed and died later. | |
| The HSE’s head of operations, Neil Craig, said: “Specialist military units rightly need to test rigorously the fitness and resilience of potential candidates. | |
| “Health and safety is not about stopping people from doing dangerous work or being properly prepared for military duties. Military training is inherently hazardous. However, such testing needs to be managed effectively. | “Health and safety is not about stopping people from doing dangerous work or being properly prepared for military duties. Military training is inherently hazardous. However, such testing needs to be managed effectively. |
| “The MoD has a duty to manage the risks during training exercises. It failed to do so on this occasion. | “The MoD has a duty to manage the risks during training exercises. It failed to do so on this occasion. |
| “Since the incident, HSE has worked closely with the MoD to ensure it has learned lessons and how it can reduce the risk of similar tragedies occurring in future without compromising or changing the arduous nature of the essential training and testing they need to provide.” | “Since the incident, HSE has worked closely with the MoD to ensure it has learned lessons and how it can reduce the risk of similar tragedies occurring in future without compromising or changing the arduous nature of the essential training and testing they need to provide.” |
| The HSE said its investigation found a failure to plan, assess, and manage risks associated with climatic illness during the training. | |
| These failings resulted in the deaths of the three men and heat illness suffered by 10 others on the march. | |
| Despite its Crown status, the MoD was not exempt from its responsibilities as an employer to reduce the risks to its employees as far as reasonably practicable, the HSE added. | |
| It is thought that the group involved were carrying out an exercise known as the “fan dance”. | |
| It requires a soldier carrying a weighted pack and rifle to march up and down 2,900ft-high Pen y Fan mountain, then do it again in reverse, in a set time. | |
| On the day in question, 13 July, temperatures hit 29.5C, and emergency crews were called to Pen y Fan after reports that six soldiers had collapsed suffering heat exhaustion. | |
| A Ministry of Defence spokesman said: “The MoD acknowledges this censure and has apologised for the failures identified by the coroner and the Health and Safety Executive. | |
| “We have made several improvements to reduce the risks on such exercises, and the Defence Safety Authority is conducting a service inquiry to identify any further lessons to prevent a recurrence of this tragedy. | |
| “Our thoughts remain with the families and friends of Corporal James Dunsby, Lance Corporal Craig Roberts and Trooper Edward Maher.” |