Plant hire manager jailed over crane tragedy
9 Jan 2017
The manager of a Scottish plant hire firm has been jailed over an accident that resulted in the death of one man and the injury of a fellow worker.
At Airdrie Sheriff Court, Donald Craig received a maximum two-year sentence after being found guilty of health and safety breaches involved in a crane collapse in 2012, during work outside the Buchanan House office block at Port Dundas Road, Glasgow.
Gary Currie was killed and co-worker Alexander Nisbet suffered a head injury when the basket of the crane platform plunged nearly 100 feet after the main boom section buckled.
Hamilton-based Craig Services and Access Limited was fined more than £60,000 and also found guilty of three charges including maintenance failures and the collapse of the mobile elevating work platform (MEWP).
They chose a much cheaper repair that left the boom in an unsafe condition.
Graeme McMinn, HSE principal inspector
Another contractor, JM Access Solutions, was fined £30,000 for failing to carry out a proper examination of the platform and its safety-critical parts.
HSE principal inspector Graeme McMinn described the accident as “entirely preventable”.
He said the crane had a series of defects that had been identified at the time the accident occurred.
The tragedy followed an earlier incident, in May 2011, involving the platform after which Craig Services & Access Limited had instructed a repair to the damaged section of the main boom.
The repair had been incorrectly carried out and JM Access Solutions subsequently failed to carry out an adequate thorough examination of the platform.
Added McMinn: “Craig Services and Access Ltd and Donald Craig were advised by the manufacturer to replace the damaged boom. Instead, they chose a much cheaper repair that left the boom in an unsafe condition.
"Guidance in the British Standard Safe Use of MEWPs advises that repairs to any parts of the MEWP structure should be in accordance with the procedure specified by the manufacturer.”
The HSE said correct procedure required daily pre-use checks, intermediate inspections and maintenance based on manufacturer recommendations and six monthly thorough examinations carried out by a competent person independent of the MEWP owner.
