Two companies have been fined after admitting breaching health and safety rules following the death of a 74-year-old wind farm security guard in 2018.
Construction company Northstone (NI), which traded as Farrans, pleaded guilty to breaching Section 3(1) of the Health and Safety at Work etc Act 1974 and was fined £768,000.
Corporate Service Management pleaded guilty to breaching Section 2(1) of the Health and Safety at Work etc Act 1974 and was fined £100,800.
Ayr Sheriff Court heard that just after midnight on 22 January 2018, Ronald (Ronnie) Alexander, a 74-year-old security guard employed by Corporate Service Management was found in deep snow by Police Scotland’s Mountain Rescue Team at the Afton wind farm, a remote site near New Cumnock.
Mr Alexander was hypothermic and died later that day having never regained consciousness, according to the HSE.
In evidence the court heard that around lunchtime on 21 January, as forecasted, the weather deteriorated resulting in deep drifts on the road to the site from New Cumnock, and the road between the gatehouse where Mr Alexander worked and the site compound where his colleague was stationed.
Although mobile phone communications were known to be poor and inconsistent at the site there was no landline. Two-way radios were available, but these could only be used for the guards to speak with each other and not offsite, said the HSE.
The HSE investigation into Mr Alexander’s death found that when preparing their emergency weather plan, Northstone (NI) Ltd had failed to include those times when nobody from the company would be present at the site. The company also failed to ensure there was a back-up generator at either of the guard’s locations to ensure that their welfare area would have heating and lighting should the main generator fail, despite this having occurred on several occasions previously.
Northstone (NI) Ltd did not ensure that Mr Alexander or his colleague had a reliable means of calling for help, added the HSE.
At around 5pm, Mr Alexander’s colleague managed to obtain a signal on his mobile phone and reported to Corporate Service Management’s control room that not only had the generator failed, but that the only means of transporting the men offsite, a 4×4 vehicle, had become trapped in the deep snow at the site compound. The HSE said Corporate Service Management did not call the emergency services until after 9pm.
Corporate Service Management’s emergency plan relied on there being effective communication between the guards and their control room, however they failed to provide this or to make sure that Northstone (NI) Ltd had provided this at the site, said the HSE.
Speaking after the hearing, HSE inspector Gerard Muir said: “This incident could so easily have been avoided had either company ensured that a suitable assessment had been made of the risk to those working at the site in poor weather, that suitable and sufficient means had been provided for the guards to communicate offsite, and that back-up generators had been provided, particularly when they knew how often the main generator had failed.
“By simply carrying out these correct control measures and ensuring safe working practices at this site, this tragic event could have been avoided.
“Companies should be aware that HSE will not hesitate to take appropriate enforcement action against those that fall below the required standards.”
Northstone (NI) said: “Northstone accepts that on this occasion at Afton Windfarm we did not meet the high health and safety standards that we seek to achieve to protect our employees, customers, clients, subcontractors and communities.”
“We deeply regret that this resulted in the death of Mr. Ronald Alexander. Our thoughts and sincerest sympathies remain with his family and friends.”
The company added that it took “immediate action” at the project to prevent a re-occurrence of the incident.
“As part of our internal investigation and the subsequent findings of this investigation we have reviewed and improved our risk control processes across the business,” added Northstone (NI).
ENDS