Inverness firm fined £9,000 after worker seriously injured

McGregor Construction (Highlands) has been fined £9,000 at Fort William Sheriff Court at after an employee was seriously injured while working on a school perimeter fence.

Labourer Neil Cameron of 75 Balmacaan Road, Drumnadrochit, suffered a loss of sensation on one side of his body and speech impairment after being hit on the head with a 6m, 44kg steel fence post.

Procurator Fiscal Alison Wyllie said that Cameron was among four labourers who were tasked with digging holes to a prescribed depth, before concreting the poles in place.

But there was a slight gradient in the site and it had not been anticipated that some of the holes would have to be dug deeper, with the poles being lifted into place manually.

When Cameron and two others were lifting one of the poles into place, Cameron slipped and got his foot stuck in the hole. The two men tried to keep a hold of the pole but dropped it and it landed on his head.

McGregor Construction (Highlands) admitted a breach of health and safety regulations for failing to identify a safe working environment or carrying out a risk assessment.

Sherriff Douglas Small reduced the company's fine from £12,000 to £9,000 because it entered an early guilty plea and had a good previous health and safety record.