The death of a demolition worker, who was struck by a falling object while dismantling a hydraulic excavator, was “easily foreseeable and avoidable”, according to the HSE inspector who investigated the case.
Bernard McCarroll, 68, was dismantling a face-shovel machine at Whiteinch Demolition Ltd’s yard in Glasgow on 12 May 2008. The site was littered with old machinery and was very untidy, so the company decided to clear the yard. As part of this operation Mr McCarroll was asked to cut the face shovel into pieces so the machine could be transported to a scrap yard.
He was given no instruction on how to dismantle the machine safely and no risk assessment was carried out before he started work. The machine weighed seven tonnes and had a weight at the rear to aid stability. He began cutting the machine using a flame torch but when he cut the bolts, which held the weight to the frame of the machine, part of it fell and struck him on the head and chest. He died at the scene as a result of his injuries.
HSE inspector Russell Berry told SHP that not only did the company fail to plan the work, but it didn’t think to provide Mr McCarroll with the machine’s manual, which explained how the machine was put together.
Inspector Berry said: “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.
“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.”
Whiteinch Demolition Ltd appeared at Glasgow Sheriff Court on 29 August and pleaded guilty to breaching s2(1) of the HSWA 1974 and was fined £15,000 with no costs, as the case was heard in Scotland. The company had no previous safety convictions.€
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