West Fraser (Europe) Ltd has been fined over £1m after pleading guilty to two offences under the Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974. The offences relate to two separate incidents that occurred at the company's plant in Cowie.
The first incident happened in January 2020 when Sean Gallagher, a utility operator, injured his leg in a storage bunker. Mr Gallagher had noticed an issue on a bunker at the company's biomass plant and entered the plant to carry out an inspection in accordance with the company's safe system of work.
He then entered the bunker again having noticed further issues but did not turn off the power on that occasion. Mr Gallagher's leg became entangled in the machinery and he had to use his own mobile to raise an alert. The incident left him with compound fractures to the tibia and fibula of his right leg. The incident led the company to install a mesh guard across the bunker hatch which can only be unlocked once the system has been isolated.
This incident resulted in a fine of £28,000 following an guilty plea to offences under both the Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974 and the Provision and Use of Work Equipment Regulations SI 1998/2306.
The second incident happened in July 2020 when David McMillan, a scaffolder, fell more than 13 feet resulting in multiple fractures, including his neck and ankle. Mr McMillan was working at height when a plate on a steel gantry gave way, which resulted in the fall. The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) investigation found that there was no maintenance schedule for the gantry nor was there a system of checks in place for it. The steel flooring was corroded in places and some of the welds holding the plate in place were failing.
The gantry was placed out of bounds and then dismantled following the incident.
The second incident, West Fraser (Europe) Ltd pleaded guilty to offences under the Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974 and was fined £1,040,000.
HSE inspector Stuart Easson said "This is the second time in five years this company has been handed a large fine for failing to protect workers. Although both men sustained very serious injuries in these latest incidents, both are lucky to be alive. We hope this outcome demonstrates that repeated failures of this nature are not acceptable.”
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