05.10.2004

£200,000 fine for fatal lifting accident

First Engineering Ltd a railway and rail related infrastructure engineering has been fined £200,000 at Glasgow Sheriff Court over the death of an employee, Alexander Somerville, 55, who lost his life in November 2002 when a lifting operation went tragically wrong.

Somerville and a colleague were lifting 2 tonnes of railway sleepers at the company's Finnieston premises in Glasgow when the load held by sling slipped and fell on top of Mr Somerville, crushing him and causing injuries from which he later died.

Evidence of company deficiencies in the areas of training, equipment and instruction were offered in court, the company admitted to breaches in Health and safety.