Companies Fined £400,000

The labourer, employed by Stirling Stone Ltd, was working on the third level of a loading tower of scaffolding that had been erected as part of construction work taking place at Glasgow Academy, Colebrook Street, Glasgow.

Stirling Stone had been contracted as stonemasons on the site by Robertson Construction Central Ltd.

On 26 April 2007, the labourer fell to the ground from the scaffold loading tower platform.  He died later from his injuries.  A single guard rail was found on the ground close to where the labourer was discovered.

Following the incident, inspectors from the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) discovered that there was no safe system of work in place for loading materials onto the loading tower, nor had suitable assessment of the risks involved been made.

The investigation also revealed that the loading tower did not have sufficient guard rails and toe boards and that neither company had ensured that the tower was safe.