A Glasgow demolition company has received a £15,000 fine over the death of a worker who died when a weight from a face shovel machine that was being dismantled fell on him.
Glasgow Sheriff Court imposed the penalty on Whiteinch Demolition following the death of 68-year old Bernard McCarroll on 12 May 2008 at the company's yard in Glasgow.
He was dismantling the 7t machine by the burning process, using a flame torch, and whilst cutting bolts which secured a weight at the rear of the machine attached to improve stability was killed when part of it fell on him.
The Health & Safety Executive found the operation had not been properly risk assessed or planned by the company and no safe system of work had been provided to those carrying out the dismantlement.
Insufficient information and instruction was available.
"The dismantling operation had not been planned sufficiently and it was left to Mr McCarroll to decide how to carry out the task as it progressed," said HSE inspector Russell Berry.
"In failing to carry out a risk assessment for this job and failing to plan a safe method of carrying out the work, Whiteinch Demolition Ltd failed to protect Bernard McCarroll and it cost him his life. This incident was entirely foreseeable and could have easily been avoided. If straightforward steps had been taken then Mr McCarroll would undoubtedly be alive today."
The company pled guilty to breaching Section 2 of the Health and Safety at Work Etc. Act 1974.
