Accident at work leads to death and £400,000 fine

Two companies have been found responsible and fined for breaches of health and safety that led to a fatal accident at work, it has been revealed.

According to the Health and Safety Executive (HSE), James Kelly, a worker for Stirling Stone Ltd, fell to the ground from the third level of a loading tower of scaffolding at Glasgow Academy in April 2007. He was found lying close to a single guard rail and later died from his injuries.

The organisation stated its inspectors found the structure on which Mr Kelly was working had "no safe system of work in place for loading materials onto the loading tower, nor had suitable assessment of the risks involved been made".

In addition, the investigation showed that the loading tower had insufficient guard rails and toe boards and was not regularly inspected by the firms carrying out the work.

Following a trial, both Stirling Stone Ltd and Robertson Construction Central Ltd - which contracted the former company - were fined £200,000.

Commenting on the result of the court case, John Shelton, HSE inspector for construction, said: "What happened to Mr Kelly was entirely preventable and would not have happened if the proper steps had been taken."

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