The Commission for Consumer Protection (CPC) imposed a €30,000 administrative penalty on a retail chain because of a dangerous playground at one of its stores in Varna. The decision was taken after a four-year-old child fell from the facility on October 6, 2026. The playground has been closed, while the penalty decree is subject to appeal.
The parents filed a report with the CPC on October 12. During the inspection carried out the following day, inspectors established that the playground was a three-level, enclosed vertical structure. It featured rope obstacles, a rope ladder, a tunnel slide, openings for crawling through and play platforms.
Damage noted as early as February
The reports submitted by the supervisory authorities described protruding metal strands from damaged ropes and a missing section of the soft material on the inside of the right entrance. According to the CPC, it was precisely this damage that led to the formation of an unsecured opening through which the child fell.
The non-compliances had also been identified in a safety report from the annual inspection of playgrounds in February 2026. The document recorded the missing section of soft material at the right entrance, but the damage had not been repaired before the incident in October.
Previous incident also established
The inspection established that another child had been injured at the same playground in January 2026, also falling from the unsecured facility. The parents in that case did not file a report with the CPC.
The Commission found that using the three-level facility despite the identified damage created a risk of significant and difficult-to-repair or irreparable harm. Therefore, making it available on the market was prohibited.
By an order dated October 15, 2026, access to the playground at the store was prohibited. The facility was physically cordoned off, and the ban was indicated on site. The fine imposed is the maximum administrative penalty specified in the CPC's decision.
Sources: bntnews.bg, trud.bg