Motherwell constrution site collapse: serious injuries: £135,000 fines

Cold store collapse: serious injuries: £135,000 fines

Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service v John Sisk and Son Ltd and Hemstec Installations Ltd (2016) Hamilton Sheriff Court, January 14

Two companies have been fined following the collapse of a cold store at a construction site.

Significant points of the case

• In October 2010 Guy Davies and Nayan Patel, employees of a subcontractor, were working at a construction site in Motherwell. Both were seriously injured when the roof lids of a partly-constructed cold store collapsed under them.

• Sisk had been appointed as principal contractor for fitting out a new distribution warehouse at the site. Hemsec was subcontracted to design and construct the cold store.

• The incident could have been prevented if Sisk had enforced its permit to work system and ensured that workers were not allowed access to the roof lid system until it received confirmation that the system had been installed correctly and was safe.

• Hemstec should have ensured that its subcontractor had installed the connections between the roof lid and the cold store wall in line with the design specifications. It should also have checked that these connections were safe before allowing Sisk access to the roof lids.

John Sisk and Son Ltd was fined £64,000 for a breach of section 3, HSW Act, for failing to ensure the health and safety of non-employees.